A Princess and a King
by LUCKY1230
Summary: Will the love of a king be enough to tame the spirit of a princess? Eomer and Lothiriel story; my own interpretation of their love.
1. Default Chapter

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: Might be a bit AU, but not too out of the ordinary, hopefully. To make a long story short, just my interpretation of the E/L story.

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Prologue  
  
A single tear ran down her white cheek, falling to the ground then splattering on the cool wooden floor. Eowyn gently wiped away the evidence of the tear with her boot, as she tried her best to push back the rest of the tears. Meduseld was her home for most of her life and it was a challenge for her to leave it. Even harder was leaving the city of Edoras, and the plains and fields of gold that were Rohan. She did not wish to let it go, but she knew she must.  
  
Sighing, she looked around once more, burning into her mind the images of the detail of the Golden Hall as she brushed her fingers over the pillars that laced the structure. 'This is ridiculous, I will return, it will not be my last time seeing this Hall' she thought to herself, but when she did return to this hall she would no longer be a woman of Rohan, but a lady of Ithilien. Making her way to the main entrance of Meduseld, she grabbed the handles of the large doors and pulled them open. She stepped outside and looked over the city, the wind blowing her hair wildly.  
  
"I will miss you," she called out, to no one in particular. Few were around to hear her, maybe some servants inside were walking about, preparing what possessions she had left in the city and packing them for the journey to Gondor in the morning; there were also the guards that stood at the doors, but realizing that this was an intimate moment for the lady, they tried not to make much of a disturbance. It seemed none were really paying attention to her, save one.  
  
"We will miss you as well," a voice, replied, half amused, half sympathetic. Startled, Eowyn turned to smile at her brother. His tall figure made its way to his sister, looking around the great hall then turning his gaze back to her as he stepped outside. "Is everything prepared for tomorrow?" he asked.  
  
"Yes I suppose so. It feels like this day has come all too soon. I am to be married in a few days. Can you believe it brother?" She chuckled lightly. It was as if she had to tell herself over and over again that she would be married, for it seemed like such an unlikely thing.  
  
"No I suppose I couldn't. But only because it seemed so doubtful that you would find a man who could tolerate your stubborn mind. And Faramir is such a gentle man, I hate to see his life wasted away." Eowyn laughed and punched her brother in the shoulder, halting his own laughter for just a moment to place his arm around her. "I only joke. I am happy for you, very happy indeed. I am glad that Faramir loves you as much as he does. He will take care of you, as well as love you, and that is enough to put my worries to rest."  
  
Eowyn pondered this for a moment, and remembered that it was Eomer who was by her side after they were orphaned, and now she would leave him as well. "Yes, take care of me. I am sorry brother that I am leaving you here with no one to take care of you. I only wish I could put my own worries about you to rest as well; you have a kingdom to share with no one." She looked up at her brother apologetically, hugging him lightly as she did so.  
  
"Nonsense, do not worry about me. Do not fret so. Only concentrate on the life ahead of you, for it will be a most happy one. Our kin would be so proud of you Eowyn, as I am. My time for joy will come, but for now I am glad that your life has been set before mine. Truly you deserve the best." Eomer turned to his sister, gently pulling her forehead to his, as Theoden used to do with her, giving her a comforting smile before kissing her forehead and leading her back into the hall.  
  
In the morning they would travel to Gondor, and by the end of the week Eowyn would be wed. But what Eomer did not know was what waited for him in Gondor, and just how much his life would change after one meeting...

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reviews and criticisms would be nice =] 


	2. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: Thanks for the reviews!! =]

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Chapter 1: The Meeting  
  
The rays of the sun cast down on the Pelennor Fields, light reflecting off the soft grass that swayed at the command of the gentle breeze. The company that delivered the Lady Eowyn to Minas Tirith had finally arrived, and Eomer could not be any happier. He was tired from the journey, but he suspected that most of his stress came not from the riding but from his responsibilities beforehand. He had just returned the body of his beloved uncle to Rohan, and it seemed no more than a few days when he had to mount on his horse again and lead a party back to Gondor, where he had been just days before his first trip to Rohan. '_Exhausting_!' he thought to himself, for it seemed that even going over his schedule in his mind was confusing enough. But his thoughts began to stray, and he looked upon the glorious Pelennor Fields.  
  
'_Months ago I fought on this field with my people to defend the White City, yet I remember it as if it were yesterday..._' he thought to himself, his heart beginning to race as images of the battle he so valiantly fought in began to take over his thoughts. Suddenly the thunderous sound of the gates opening pulled Eomer out of his trance, and he heard his sister call from behind him.  
  
"Faramir!!" she cried out, quickly dismounting her horse and running ahead. Eomer, still slow to react, watched his sister run into Faramir's arms, and gazed as he spun her around, lifting her to the air.  
  
"My Lord?" a man from behind him beckoned, and Eomer remembered the party of Rohirrim behind him. "Wh, what? Oh I am sorry Feran, yes, let us proceed." Eomer motioned his steed to approach the soon to be married couple, and he called to have the party halt once inside the gate. He dismounted his horse to speak with Faramir, feeling that addressing him atop his horse would seem proud and belittling, wanting neither to offend nor belittle anyone.  
  
"It is good to see you again, Eomer king." Faramir greeted, as he bowed his head. Eomer bowed in return, in complete respect of the man. He remembered when Faramir had approached him and asked for Eowyn's hand in marriage. Though Faramir was older, Eomer could sense his humility, for Faramir truly loved Eowyn, and in loving Eowyn he accepted that he would love Eomer as well. Whatever respect he had for Eomer before, it only grew as he gradually came to know well the young king.  
  
"It is good to see you again as well, my Lord. It seems I could not keep my sister in Rohan any longer than I have. And so here she is, I return her safely."  
  
"So you have, but I am glad to see that you have returned safe as well. Come, Elessar and Arwen await. It seems I could not wait for you to ascend to the seventh level. Greeting you here at the gate felt much more appropriate to me," Faramir exclaimed tenderly.  
  
"You are too good to me," Eowyn said sincerely. She could not bring herself to look away from Faramir at any moment. She was completely in love. Faramir only chuckled lightly, as if to humble himself. "Come, we are expected," he said, nodding to the party to ready themselves for climbing the grand citadel. Eomer nodded lightly and mounted his horse, as Eowyn and Faramir mounted theirs, and so they began their trek to see the King and Queen of the Reunited Kingdom.

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**_ELSEWHERE_**  
  
"LOTHIRIEL!!!"  
  
Had Lothiriel known any better, she could have sworn to herself that her father was yelling at her from the very top of Minas Tirith. The feast in honor of her cousin and the Lady Eowyn was that night, and she felt it better to have a swim rather than have a bath before she had to dress for the occasion. She knew, however, that if she was caught she would never hear the end of it from her father. Leaving the city, alone, without telling anyone, then taking a swim in the river with barely anything? Her father would boil over with anger and frustration. '_Why must he worry so much? I only try to enjoy myself in life, I mean to bring no harm to anyone_' she thought to herself. Naturally being the youngest child of Imrahil was difficult enough, but being his only daughter as well? The restraints seemed endless. But Lothiriel would have her fun in life regardless of what her father, or brothers, or anyone for that matter, thought.  
  
"LOTHIRIEL!!!!!" This time Lothiriel knew the cry was real, and turned to see her hand-maiden running to her, a dress and under garments draped over her, boots in her hand, frantic.  
  
"Daerien what is the matter? You look as though you've seen a ghost," giggled Lothiriel.  
  
"My Lady we must head back now. Here, here, put this on, quick! Oh Eru if your father finds out what you have done, he would surely send me back to Dol Amroth in chains! My Lady you would be the death of me!"  
  
Lothiriel came out of the water and stood to dress herself, as Daerien helped to tie the dress, handing Lothiriel her boots, making sure that none were watching as they hid behind a small tree. The young hand maiden, maybe only a year or so older than Lothiriel, was in a panic, and Lothiriel felt terrible for the amount of stress she put her friend through, 'but Daerien worries too much anyway' she thought to herself.  
  
"Come!! We must hurry. The party from Rohan has arrived. Ohhhh! My Lady, had you seen Eowyn walk in with your cousin. It was quite the site to see. Truly the tales of her beauty do her no real justice. And such sincerity shining from her face! Your cousin holds tight to her for she is truly a catch." Lothiriel pondered this thought as Daerien tried to straighten her long, dark hair. The water was a bit cold, and Lothiriel's face paled a bit because of it, but it only contrasted with her blushed cheeks, which seem to brighten to a rose color. "And, my lady, her brother is quite the subject to speak of as well!"  
  
Lothiriel turned to face Daerien, as she had had her back faced to her before, and revealed her nose scrunched and eye brows furrowed in curiosity, but Daerien only turned her around quickly so she could finish attempting to untangle the knots in her hair. "What do you mean by that Daerien?"  
  
"I only mean that he truly is handsome. The word among the help of the citadel is that he is unmarried, and newly made king of Rohan. Can you imagine? Oh, but had you looked upon him, Lothiriel, you would have wondered how such a thing was so. He is so tall! And built, my lady! And his features only compliment his blond......"  
  
"Alright, Daerien I understand. Come, my father must be out of his mind at this point. I thought I would have enough time to dress and prepare myself before they had arrived, but I suppose I lost track of time. How do I look?" Lothiriel turned around to face Daerien once again, and held out her arms to model herself for her friend. The pale blue dress Daerien brought to the girl was a wise choice, for it complimented her dark hair that was now tied back in an attempt to hide that it was damp. The simplicity of the dress fit Lothiriel perfectly, and in its simplicity Lothiriel looked stunning.  
  
":_sigh_:, My Lady you look wonderful." Lothiriel playfully slapped her arm and motioned for her to follow. The two girls ran to the entrance of the city, and sprinted as fast as they could, trying to get to the stop of the city in the shortest amount of time.

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Eomer had been wandering the city for only a few minutes or so. He had greeted the King and Arwen sincerely, warmly, and watched as his sister had done the same. Seeing the two couples together however ignited something in him. He suddenly felt like he was alone, especially in seeing his sister cling to Faramir as she did. As politely as possible, he took leave of the party in request to take a walk around the city, for he felt like he needed to clear his mind. He removed whatever clothing he had that resembled dignified or royalty, and wore a simple white riding shirt and pants, with his hair half tied back to show that he put some thought in his appearance.  
  
He marveled at the White City, especially at the people who seemed to so comfortably pick up where their lives had left off before the siege during the War of the Ring. The walls bustled with life, and it appeared as if nothing had happened. Eomer walked down the levels humbly with his hands clasped behind his back, observing the people around him. Some would recognize who he was, but he would only nod slightly and smile at them, hoping they would not make a scene of bowing in a dignified manner to him. The people seemed to realize this, and only bowed their heads to him to show some kind of respect. And it was in walking that he was content, observing the people and watching them live. He felt calmed, calmed until...  
  
Lothiriel felt like she had been running for hours. '_For Eru Sake! Did they not think that seven levels were a bit too much to handle climbing_??' she thought to herself. But it was her own fault really, she should have never gone out so far. She kept running, dodging people as she went along. She noticed a small gate coming ahead. Smiling, she turned to Daerien, "Look! That's five! We are almost there Daerien, only two mor......" but before she could finish she ran into what felt like a wall, and fell flat on the ground. The last thing she could remember was a figure hovering over her, and she could feel, whoever it was, the person caressing her cheek. Then all went black.

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thanks so much for reviewing!! yeah, I realize now that I misspelled it, so I'll go back and fix that. hope you guys liked the chapter. keep up the reviewing! hehe =] 


	3. Chapter 2

**

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DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: the reviews are awesome =] thank you so much!

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Chapter 2: An Introduction to a Misconception  
  
"My Lady!! Oh my Lord, I am so sorry, she did not mean to... oh but is she unconscious? Her father would surly have my head if he..."  
  
But Eomer seemed to ignore the frantic cries of the young woman pacing behind him, as he knelt down to the girl who had accidentally ran into him. Eomer had barely moved an inch in their small collision, and rightfully so, as the girl's body was slender and no match to his own grand build. Extending his arm to gently caress the girl's cheek and lifting her head slightly, he examined her, searching for any bruises or wounds upon her head, for it wasn't the collision but the fall that resulted that was the threat to the girl.  
  
"...and her brothers! Maybe not the younger but the elder would surely have something to say about her scampering about all alone in such a..."  
  
"MISS!" Eomer cried. Daerien, startled at the boom of his voice, jumped and quickly shut her mouth and stared at his gaze awaiting what he had to say. "Find water and a dampened cloth, quickly!" Daerien nodded sheepishly and ran to anyplace she could to find what she needed.  
  
A crowd began to gather at the spectacle, and Eomer seemed to grow conscious of it. He could hear whispers all along the strands of people gathering and hoped that what they were whispering was in relation to the fact that a maiden was on the ground, and not because it was the king of Rohan at her side.  
  
"Come on, wake up..." he mumbled under his breath, watching the girl as she slowly began to flutter her eyelids and gradually come to realize her surroundings. When she had opened her eyes completely, she sat up and Eomer backed away from her just a bit to give her some space. From the expression on her face, it was clear that the collision was rather strong for the girl. She began to look around for, it seemed, anyone she recognized. '_She looks so innocent, in a rather pretty way I suppose_' Eomer thought to himself, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He looked around at the crowd, and noticed that the numbers had grown, and they began to push forward in an effort to see what was going on. "Please, give her room!" he cried out, and the people quickly obeyed.  
  
Eomer watched as the girl rubbed her forehead, eyebrows furrowing in, confusion? Or fear perhaps? He could not decide, and thought that a few kind words would help to ease whatever troubled her. "You needn't be afraid miss, I wouldn't harm..." but before he could finish the girl shot a look at him and cut him off mid-sentence.  
  
"Who are you? And what do you feed yourself? Stones?! For Eru sake! Honestly what were you doing just standing there?" the girl snapped as she rose to her feet.  
  
Eomer looked up at her, a bit offended, and annoyed really that she would be so rude as to speak to him that way. "If I may, _**miss**_, it was not I who was carelessly running through the streets. You did not even look where you were going!" Eomer replied, raising his voice, keeping eye contact with the girl as he himself rose to his feet.  
  
This only angered Lothiriel even more. "You would raise your voice to a lady, SIR?" she screamed, looking up to the man.  
  
"I'm sorry, I meant no offense. I only intended on defending myself. You're being eccentric," Eomer responded, his voice still loud for the crowd to hear. The two were making quite the scene to see; a Princess and a King, screaming at each other, emotions high and tempers flying, and neither realizing just who the other was.  
  
"ECCENTRIC? I should report you to the..." but Lothiriel was cut short by Daerien, who was horrified, if it was possible for the girl to BE anymore horrified, at the site of Lothiriel scolding the King of Rohan.  
  
"MY LADY!" she cried, almost dropping the bowl of water in her arms. Both Eomer and Lothiriel turned to look at her. She turned pale as she slowly fell to the ground on her knees, watching them argue. Both looked at her puzzled, as she began to cry for mercy. This day was more than she could handle.

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"...And that's when she ran into me." Eomer was explaining to his dear friend, Imrahil, what had happened. Both he and Lothiriel were standing before an audience of Imrahil, Faramir, and Eowyn in a hall of the citadel. Lothiriel stood quietly; hands clasped together in front of her as she listened to Eomer speak. Daerien was standing silently a few feet behind her, trembling, slightly, with fear. "I'm sorry my Lord, I did not mean to be such an inconvenience _walking_ through the streets of the city," Eomer said to him, bowing in humility, looking to Lothiriel with an eyebrow raised. Lothiriel only scowled at him, for she could hear the sarcasm lining his voice.  
  
"No apologies from you are needed, Eomer king. Nay, I insist that you accept my daughter's, and my own apologies," Imrahil responded, glaring at his daughter.  
  
"Father you can't be serious? I would not think to apologize after the way he spoke to me earlier."  
  
"Spoke to you earlier? Tell me, princess, were you offended by how I spoke before or after your outburst? Either way my tone was justified in both occasions, and I refuse to..."  
  
"That is enough, please!" Lothiriel and Eomer were only inches apart, staring intensely at each other as they were, again, raising their voices. Eowyn could not take their bickering any longer, and ran to separate the two of them, pushing them apart and looking back and forth to both of them, expecting them both to of controlled their composures. "Please! I will not have you two fighting the length of our time here. My marriage is to be a day of complete happiness and I cannot have that if my brother and my future cousin are at each other's throats. Can you not compose yourselves, please?" Eowyn looked pleading at her brother, who only sighed and nodded quietly, feeling guilty for having upset his sister. She then turned to Lothiriel, eyes pleading as well, which surprised Lothiriel because she had met Eowyn in such a hasty way, and already the woman was pleading with her just as her father would.  
  
"Yes, yes I am sure I can do that, my Lady. I am truly sorry," Lothiriel answered, bowing her head and curtseying for her in sincerest regrets.  
  
"Good. I am sure you are both tired from such an... eventful day. I think it best if we all rested before tonight's festivities. Uncle, I take my leave," Faramir said, bowing to his uncle who bowed in return. "Eomer," he addressed in the same manner, smiling warmly. "Lothiriel," he said, as he had before. "Shall we?" he asked Eowyn, offering her his arm to escort her to their rooms. Eowyn complied and they walked ahead of the rest to their rooms, Faramir chuckling to himself and Eowyn only rolling her eyes in somewhat disbelief.

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"And he called me eccentric! Am I eccentric Daerien?" Lothiriel was pacing her room as Daerien prepared her outfit for the feast later that evening. Daerien only looked up from what she was doing as Lothiriel paced heavily, giggling and raising an eyebrow at her. "Don't answer that. Ugh, did you see the look on my father's face? I'm not sure I've ever seen him so red, though, I admit I do not know whether it was anger or sheer embarrassment. I hate to trouble him so..." she trailed off.  
  
Daerien paused to watch her friend sit on her bed then lay upon it, eyes filled with worry. She sighed, and was going to comfort her when there was a knock at the door. Daerien answered it, and took her leave at the sight of the visitor, but not before turning to Lothiriel and giving her a reassuring smile. Lothiriel sat up to greet her visitor, who ended up being her brother Erchirion. His soft blue eyes met her own and he smiled lightly at her.  
  
He took a seat beside her on the bed and sighed before speaking with her. "So I heard of your day today. The king of Rohan, Lothiriel? Could you not have run into someone else? Or something else. A wall maybe?"  
  
"Truthfully, Erchirion, that is what it felt like I ran into. And king of Rohan or not, he hadn't the right to raise his voice at me. I do not know what manners they convey in Rohan, but in Gondor you wouldn't dare address a lady in such a manner, dignified or not, it should not matter!"  
  
"You are joking, are you not? Since when have you complied with manners and obedient behavior?"  
  
"I suppose it has been awhile. But he could have been a gentleman about it," she said quietly, more so than she had spoke before, crossing her arms. She looked to her brother, who seemed to be picturing the ordeal in his head, as he was chuckling to himself, running his fingers through his short, brown locks as he did so. "Tell me, Erchirion, was father so angry at me? He is well, is he not?"  
  
Erchirion paused for a moment, and saw that his sister was truly worried. He never could understand why she would misbehave, and worry about the consequences after. Like himself and his other two brothers, his sister adored their father. He knew she had no intention of hurting him purposely, and on some occasions trouble seems to find her though she tried to avoid it. "Why must you get yourself into trouble as big as the sea? Ever since you were young, you were untamable. Will you not grow up, Lothiriel?"  
  
Lothiriel only stared at him blankly, hearing the words echo in her mind.

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hope you like. the story is starting off a bit slow, but I ask that you just bare with me a bit. I don't want to make the chapters extremely long, so it's a challenge deciding where and when to end each one. thanks for the reviews, though!! I'm loving it, and please keep it up!! =] 


	4. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: reviews= greatness. thanks so much guys!! I'm glad you like it, hehe =]

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Chapter 3: Overcoming Challenges  
  
The hall in the citadel chosen for the feast on the eve of Faramir and Eowyn's wedding was beautifully decorated. Everything was simple yet elegant, with banners hanging from every pillar, baring both Rohirric and Gondorian colors. The light from the torches that hung gave the hall a warm glow, and tinted everything a golden color. Small bouquets of white flowers were pinned to where streamers of fine colored cloth met end-to-end, and the petals that fell on the ground only added a more charming affect to the decor of the occasion. The tables had been removed, as the festivities had already begun, and the guests were laughing and dancing merrily to the music that played.  
  
Lothiriel walked amongst the people on the sides of the dance floor, hearing them chatter and gossip as she passed. She noticed one woman had turned and pointed Lothiriel out to her contemporaries, whispering as she did so. Lothiriel only turned away, embarrassed, not sure whether or not they had discussed her leaving the city gates or the fact that she had yelled at a King. She leaned against a pillar next to the exit of the hall that was only inches away. Wanting to make a discreet retreat to her quarters, she took a cup of water from a tray a servant held, sipped lightly, handed the cup to the servant, and turned to make her way out when she heard a voice call to her.  
  
"Not enjoying yourself, sister?" Lothiriel sighed, blinking slowly as she did so, and turned around to smile at her sibling.  
  
"What-ever gave you the impression, brother?" she said in a sarcastically innocent way.  
  
"Come, be a little more caring to the affairs of your cousin. Tis a happy day for him tomorrow, could you not be happy for him as well?" her brother whispered to her in a strained tone. He stood next to her and watched as Faramir joyfully danced with Eowyn in the center of the floor.  
  
"You insult my compassion, Amrothos!" she scolded, giving him a look of disgust.  
  
"Yes, well, from what I hear, it is difficult not to insult you."  
  
"If you are referring to what happened today, I wholeheartedly maintain myself justified throughout the entire situation." Lothiriel proudly crossed her arms and gave her brother a nonchalant look. "King of Rohan? HA! Insufferable man indeed! He had not even the decency to..."  
  
"Lothiriel! I will not have you insult him. He is a good man. I've fought in battle alongside him. Eomer deserves neither your sharp tongue nor your lack of respect. Do not let your pride cloud your better judgment of him."  
  
"I will decide whether or not it is my pride that keeps me from judging him any better than I already have. As for Faramir, I could not be happier for him." At that moment Lothiriel looked to her cousin and his bride to be, as Faramir held Eowyn close to him, sweeping her across the dance floor. She suddenly felt a knot in her stomach, and gazed in a bit of jealously at the two. '_They look so happy_,' she thought.

"He has found someone to share his life with. It is a most admirable thing, to see two people hold such high respects for each other, and love each other so dearly. It is truly coveted by many..." It seemed as if she was no longer talking to her brother, but simply speaking her thoughts. She gasped lightly and realized she had been staring at the couple in complete reverie. Amrothos was looking at her, arms crossed and his eyebrow raised. Lothiriel did not give him a chance to speak, and took her leave of him. "Excuse me, Amrothos," she said hastily and exited the hall. When she turned to look ahead of her, as her collision earlier in the day had taught her to do, she was surprised to see Eomer look up at her.  
  
For a minute or so they just stared at each other, wondering what to say to the other, or whether or not they should say anything at all. After a few moments, Lothiriel curtseyed to Eomer in wanting to avoid having to say anything altogether, and passed him to leave, when he called to her.  
  
"Lothiriel." Lothiriel stopped to slowly face the king.  
  
"My lord?"  
  
"My lady. I just wanted to apologize for today. For any true inconvenience I might have caused you. I did not mean to collide with you. And, I wanted to apologize for my angry tone. I realize that it was inappropriate of me, and it was not my intention to have your first impressions of me be ill favored."  
  
Lothiriel felt her heart soften and could see that he sought her forgiveness. Her hardened expression and furrowed eyebrows softened into a look of exasperation and regret. "No, my lord, I owe you a much bigger apology. I suppose I am far too strong willed for my own good. I did not mean to be such a disrespec..." but before Lothiriel could finish she heard a rather loud cheer come from the bottom of the stairs that lay only a few feet ahead of where she and Eomer stood. Eomer had heard it too, for he also turned to look in the direction of the stairs, which seemed to lead to a level below the hall.  
  
Eomer turned back to Lothiriel and spoke, "It must be the servants of the palace. I suppose they are celebrating as well tonight, if they have the time for it I imagine."  
  
Lothiriel grinned as her curiosity got the better of her. "Come, let us see what such a commotion was about." Eomer gave her a puzzling look but before he could answer, Lothiriel pulled him by the hand to follow her as she made her way down the steps. Her eyes lit up as a host of servants crowded around two people sitting across from one another at a small table came into sight at the bottom of the steps. Each person at the table had gulped down a mug of ale, one after the other, slamming the mug on the table as each one finished, and almost instantly the mass cheered. The spectacle was enough for Lothiriel to burst out in laughter, and had any of the servants not been intoxicated with ale they might of taken notice to the Princess and King, and made their respects to each. However, the servants were intoxicated, and took no major notice to the two.  
  
"We must join in!" she said excited, turning to Eomer.  
  
"Are you mad? These are the servants, Princess. Imagine the scandal we would create in joining their festivities. Word might already be out that we are down here, and that in itself is already an act of scandal."  
  
"You worry too much, King. Servants or not, they are people just as we are, and I see no real harm in wanting to enjoy the night in a more lively way. I will drink in my cousin's honor, as you should drink in your sister's. Come now Eomer King! Are you afraid?" Eomer glared at her when she said this, as he had been looking behind him to make sure they were not followed. He studied Lothiriel's features, and wondered how it was possible for her to change, so quickly, her disposition. Her amber dress glowed in the light, and her hair, that was half tied back, seemed to shine in Eomer's eyes. '_I_ _admire her_ _so_' he thought to himself, as she smiled at him awaiting his answer.  
  
"Afraid? I assure you, I am nowhere near afraid. It is settled then, I challenge you, Princess, and we will see just how strong a will you have to hold your ale!"

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_Moments later..._  
  
Two monstrous mugs of ale were handed in the direction of the small table, and each one placed in front of the Princess and the King, the competitors at the moment. The look on Lothiriel's face was priceless. It was a mix of anxiety, excitement, doubt, and what little courage she could muster up to try and hide her worry. Eomer had been in drinking contests before, though in Rohan the rules were slightly different. Nonetheless, ale was ale, and drinking it to a person's maximum capacity was enough similarity he needed to be neither worried nor fearful of losing.

However, Eomer could not deny the fact that a part of him was worried, but he could not understand why. He worried for the Princess, who meekly sat across from him, eyeing the mug of ale she was so set on finishing. '_Does she not feel uncomfortable to be amongst men? Especially to be in my presence, after having offended her as bad as I did. Does she trust me enough to place her well-being in my hands? It could not be possible, we hardly know each other, and yet she looks so comfortable in this atmosphere. But isn't this the same woman whose anger earlier in the day had resembled Mount Doom? And only moments ago she looked upon my face with a gentle smile. I thought she hated me, and yet here she is in a friendly competition with me. It seems the only thing troubling her now is the mug that she hadn't imagined to be so large. She is most peculiar..._' Eomer thought to himself. The King was undoubtedly intrigued, and could not help but want to find out more about her.  
  
"Alright my Lords...um, I beg your pardon, my Lord and Lady. The rules are simple, one man... um or woman, must take a drink and his... or her, opponent must match that drink. If the opponent matches the drink, then you move on to repeat the process in a second round. However, the number of drinks in each round increases as you move on. So in the second round, the challenger must take 2 drinks, and the opponent must match it. The third round, 3 drinks, the fourth, 4 and so on. Though, I must warn you players, it is rather difficult to exceed four rounds," the servant told them, smiling in amusement as he did so.  
  
Lothiriel and Eomer nodded, then looked to each other. Eomer raised an eyebrow at her, and mouthed the words "are you sure?" to her, and she only nodded to confirm that she was all right. Eomer complied, knowing in his heart that this was wrong for both of them to do. Imrahil would be disappointed, his sister amused, and Faramir only shocked. Not to mention the fact that he and Lothiriel risked embarrassment in Elessar's and Arwen's own home, though he knew Aragorn would thoroughly enjoy the site of his friend in a drinking contest, maybe even cheer him on. However, the ladies and lords of the court would shutter at the thought, and would spat at such a display. '_I_ _could not say no to those eyes..._' he thought to himself, and that was enough justification for him for the moment.  
  
"BEGIN!!" a servant cried, and the host of servants quickly cheered them on. The Princess raised her glass to the King, and all went quiet as she lifted the mug to her lips and tilted her head back to gradually empty the mug. When it was finished, she slammed the mug on the table and lightly burped. A look of surprise swept across her face and she blushed, as the crowd both laughed and cheered; Lothiriel laughing along with them. Eomer chuckled lightly as well, watching, as men would pat her on the back to congratulate her.  
  
"My Lord," she called to Eomer, bowing her head slightly to indicate that it was his turn.  
  
"My Lady," he replied, lifting his glass to her and finishing the ale within seconds. The men cheered wildly. Some began to make bets as to who would win, and Eomer only laughed humbly as men were patting his back to show their support in him. He looked at Lothiriel, as two more monstrous mugs were brought to each of them, and she seemed determined to not let the ale affect her so badly that she would lose the contest. Eomer admired her courage, sighing, wondering just how long this contest would last.

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thanks again for all the reviews! they rock. hopefully the chapters aren't terribly boring. I have a lot planned for this story, I just have to gradually get there. hehe. don't forget to review!! =] 


	5. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks so much again for the reviews. I'm not sure I can say how much they mean to me.

Well, I just had one minor, or major, depending on how you see it I guess, author's note. I'm not sure whether it's my computer, or the site, or whatever, but these weird box thingys pop up in replace of everything that has an accent. So I won't be putting the accents in any of the names or such any time soon. I tried to fix it, and at one point I thought I did, but I was wrong and it went back to the way it was. Not sure what it is, but to be on the safe side, I won't bother with it. I'm a huge perfectionist, and the boxes are bugging me. I figure I just won't use the accents at all instead of going back and having to change everything over and over again. So, I took out the accents in everything, and to stay consistent I'll be taking out the accents in the previous chapters as well. But don't get me wrong, I know they're there, ;]. Not that big of a deal I suppose, but I pay attention to detail in that way, maybe a little too much, hehe. I liked having the accents there in the names though. But other than that, I hope you all enjoy! =]

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Chapter 4: Quite the Night  
  
'_Ugh, my head..._' Lothiriel awoke, slowly, to what sounded like drums. She opened her eyes to realize that no one was in the room. '_It must be the sound of the pounding in my head,_' she thought to herself, and saw that Daerien had already prepared her garments for the morning. Faramir and Eowyn's wedding would be later that day, and Lothiriel felt like staying in bed the rest of the morning until then. Hugging her pillow close to her, she suddenly remembered the events of the pervious evening. Well, the events in the beginning of the evening anyway. She sat up and tried to remember what had happened after taking her last drink. Hard as she tried, she could not remember what had happened. Lothiriel began to panic.  
  
'_What if my father had caught me? It would explain why I woke up in my own room. No, but he must not have, for he would have been waiting for me to awake so that he would be the first person I talked to. Who could have brought me back? Daerien? No, she retired early. Amrothos? Or Erchirion? No, it could not have been. Erchirion would have told father by now, and Amrothos would be here to bring me something for my head_.' She was now pacing her room, worrying terribly and wondering who could have possibly brought her up to her room without having alarmed anyone. Lothiriel abruptly stopped where she was, and gasped as she thought to herself, '_EOMER! It must have been him! He would not of wanted to get caught any more than I would._' Deciding that it would be best to speak with Eomer, she quickly got dressed and rushed to find him.  
  
She passed by servants, who took no notice of her as they were busying transporting endless arrays of dishes, food, barrels of ale, flowers, banners, streamers, chairs, tables, anything and everything to prepare for the wedding ceremony and feast that would immediately follow. '_It is a good sign, there is no gossip,_' she thought to herself, as she continued her search.  
  
"Lothiriel!" Lothiriel stopped and turned to an entrance of a grand hall. The light shining through the tall glass windows was certainly a site to see, as were the servants who attempted to hang banners from them. She looked to see Eowyn approaching her, with a warm grin across her face.  
  
"My Lady," Lothiriel addressed, bowing her head as she did so.  
  
"Lothiriel, please, call me Eowyn," she replied, taking Lothiriel's hand within her own.  
  
"As you wish, Eowyn," Lothiriel said smiling. "I am so happy for you both. My cousin loves you dearly, and I could not imagine anyone else for him."  
  
Eowyn chuckled lightly, and Lothiriel did not think that the Lady could have had a bigger smile on her face. "Your approval of me means a great deal, Lothiriel. Faramir has few kin left, and you being his first cousin, I sought your approval, as well as the approval of your father and brothers, first. I only regret that I could not meet your brother Elphir, or his family."  
  
"Ah, yes. Someone had to stay and care for the city, and Alphros is quite young to travel. But it only gives you reason to come to Dol Amroth. Yes, I must insist it, after you and Faramir are settled. I would much enjoy your company and our family would see it an honor to have you as our guests."  
  
"With such an offer I cannot refuse. Thank you, Princess, you are quite the charmer." Eowyn gave Lothiriel a rather mischievous smirk.  
  
Lothiriel's eyebrows furrowed, and she wondered what Eowyn had meant. '_Does she know of last night? I should not doubt it, Eomer **is** her brother after all, and they are rather close._' Before Lothiriel could question Eowyn further, she heard footsteps from behind.  
  
"Eomer!" Eowyn called to her brother, as Eomer approached the two women, bowing his head to Lothiriel. "Good morning brother," Eowyn said to him, smirking at him just as she had to Lothiriel. Lothiriel hadn't noticed however, for she hadn't taken her eyes off of Eomer since the moment he first entered the hall. '_He_ _is rather handsome in the morning_' she thought to herself, but immediately dismissed the idea.  
  
"Aye, good morning sister; Good morning Lothiriel," Eomer replied, as Lothiriel nodded to acknowledge his greeting. There was an awkward silence between them. Eowyn sensed this, and was rather amused.  
  
"Well, now that we are all awake, shall we join our loved ones for breakfast? I will take my leave and walk ahead of you, for I imagine you both have much to talk about," Lothiriel and Eomer both looked to Eowyn who smiled grandly at the two. Eomer raised his eyebrow at her, as she gently patted her brother's shoulder, making her way to the dining hall. When they found that they were alone, save the few servants preparing for later that evening, Eomer spoke.  
  
"What happened last night?" he asked Lothiriel in a bit of a whisper.  
  
"You mean you do not know? I assumed you brought me to my quarters. I cannot remember anything past the bottom of a mug!"  
  
"No, no I did no such thing. Tis strange, I woke up in my own room as well, remembering nothing." Both were silent for a moment, each trying to remember any detail from the night before.  
  
"Who could have brought us both to our own separate quarters?" Lothiriel asked, puzzled.  
  
"It was I, my Lady." Eomer and Lothiriel turned to the owner of the voice who had revealed himself to be their savior of reputation. "Well, my accomplice and I," he said smiling at them. Lothiriel was in complete shock, but Eomer laughed merrily.  
  
"Aragorn. And who was the accomplice?" Eomer asked, his laughter softening as Lothiriel was still in shock and embarrassment in front of the King.  
  
"Faramir, of course. Who else could I have gone to? Imrahil was certainly not an option," he replied as he clasped Eomer's shoulder, winking at Lothiriel. Lothiriel curtseyed in complete silence.  
  
"I am so sorry, majesty. I did not mean to cause you any trouble."  
  
"Princess, no apologies are needed. I was young once, just as you are. Though, I cannot make excuses for a fellow King," he said, laughing as he looked to Eomer. Eomer chuckled in reply, and Lothiriel only gawked at Eomer's informal interaction with the King.  
  
"I thank you, King. I'm afraid I owe you much more than a political alliance," Eomer told him, laughing as he did so.  
  
"Yes, my Lord, I do not know how to thank you enough," Lothiriel added, sheepishly.  
  
"Lothiriel, do not be afraid. Your father is a dear friend to me, as are your brothers. You needed feel uncomfortable here. However, I must warn you that repeating such behavior may not end in such luck, as they had the night before, but I trust your judgment, Lothiriel. You have a strong head on those shoulders, as your father tells me." Aragorn smiled warmly to her, and it put her nerves at ease.  
  
"Tell us, Aragorn. What exactly happened last night? We both cannot remember," Eomer asked his friend. Aragorn grinned to at the both of them, as they listened intently.  
  
"Well..."

* * *

**_THE NIGHT BEFORE..._**  
  
The hall was gradually beginning to empty, and Arwen whispered to Aragorn that she would retire for the night. He offered to accompany her to their room, but she insisted he stay and reminisce with his friends. The four hobbits were there to celebrate in Faramir, and Eowyn's joy, as was Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli. He watched as they sat together at a table, with Faramir, Eowyn, Imrahil and his sons listening to the stories they had to tell, remembering the events that had intertwined their lives. At that moment, he wondered where Eomer was. He realized the King of the Riddermark was missing, which was odd because Eomer surely would not miss out on such a gathering of friends.  
  
Elessar exited the hall to go in search of the young King, when a servant lightly tapped his shoulder.  
  
"My King, I am sorry to bother you so," he said humbly, bowing.  
  
"It is alright, really. What is it?" Aragorn asked gently.  
  
"There is something I think you should see, my King." Aragorn, puzzled, nodded for the servant to lead him to whatever it was he wanted Aragorn to see. He followed the servant down the steps to the room given to the help for leisure, and was surprised at what he saw. He watched as Eomer slowly tilted his head further and further back, clearing the mug of ale to the last drop. The servants cheered wildly. They were too focused on Eomer, and who Aragorn now realized to be Imrahil's daughter, Lothiriel, to notice the King's presence.  
  
"Shall I announce your presence, your majesty?" the servant asked humbly.  
  
"No, no, do not. Here, give me your cloak." The servant quickly complied, and Aragorn covered himself so as not to be noticed, placing the hood of the cloak on his head. He walked to the table and pushed through the crowd to see, up close, what was going on, and he heard Eomer speak.  
  
"There, Princess. Dare I say it is a tie? Or must we continue!!!" Eomer's voice boomed. Aragorn chuckled, as the King of the Mark swayed from side to side, obviously intoxicated. Curious, the King turned to one of the servants who had been watching the spectacle for some time now, and whispered to him.  
  
"How long has this been going on?" the King asked.  
  
"Why, if they proceed, it would be their sixth round!" the servant replied.  
  
"Five full rounds!! Is that possible?"  
  
"Ha! I assure you, friend, it has been quite a night!"  
  
Aragorn then looked at Lothiriel, whose eyelids were drooping as she was swaying from side to side as well. Before she could answer Eomer, her eyelids fell and she passed out, her head banging on the table. The crowd laughed and cheered passionately, congratulating Eomer. Eomer, however, did not respond, but only fell forward, head banging on the table as Lothiriel's just had, passing out as well. All laughed, and the servants were becoming rowdy. Aragorn turned to the servant, who had followed him into the crowd.  
  
"Call them all to bed, now!" He commanded. The servant nodded, and stood on the table between where Lothiriel's head lie, and where Eomer's head lie.  
  
"Let us call it a night, men! Everyone, to his own quarters!" the men grumbled and groaned, and the servant grew impatient in the presence of the King. "NOW!" he shouted, and the servants gradually made their exits. When they had all gone, Aragorn revealed himself, and quickly checked both Eomer and Lothiriel to see if anything serious was threatening their health.  
  
"What shall we do, your majesty?"  
  
"Go upstairs, and retrieve the Lord Faramir. Whisper in his ear that it is urgent, that I call for him immediately."  
  
The servant nodded and ran upstairs. Moments later Faramir arrived to the sight of Eomer and Lothiriel passed out atop a small table, mugs scattered all over the place.  
  
"My word," he breathed, looking at Aragorn.  
  
"I gave them water; they have passed out completely, still breathing, thank Eru. We must get them to their rooms, in secrecy, Faramir."  
  
Faramir looked at Aragorn, chuckling. "Quite a scandal they have weaved, if word got out," Faramir replied, looking at his cousin and future brother.  
  
"But quite an experience also. It would have amused you to see Eomer." Both began to laugh, as Faramir swept Lothiriel into his arms. Aragorn, however, had a more difficult time with Eomer, who was larger than he. He was finally able to lift Eomer from the chair, placing himself under Eomer's arm and using his shoulder to lift him. "We will never be able to quietly pass the halls without someone seeing us. Come, I know a hidden passage to the living quarters." Aragorn motioned for Faramir to follow, as Faramir did, carrying his cousin.  
  
_**Moments later...  
**_  
Aragorn watched as Faramir entered Lothiriel's room to place her into bed. He waited for Faramir, as the weight of the King of Rohan began to tire Aragorn, and he knew very well he could not make it to Eomer's room without some help. Faramir emerged from the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He then placed himself under Eomer's other arm, and helped carry the King of the Rohirrim to his room. Once in Eomer's room, the two men placed him gently into bed, Aragorn placing a blanket over the King. Faramir and Aragorn stood in silence for a moment, standing at the end of Eomer's bed, staring at him. Both were just trying to catch their breaths before they returned to their guests.  
  
"What shall we tell everyone?" Faramir asked, turning to Aragorn.  
  
"Imrahil knows, or thinks, that Lothiriel has retired early for the night. Let us say the same for Eomer. As for what happened tonight, let us keep it shrouded in secrecy," Aragorn replied, looking at Faramir. "Well, in the secrecy of my wife and your future wife," he said smiling. Faramir chuckled, and both turned to leave Eomer to sleep in peace, when they heard him speak out.  
  
"Lothiriel... ever so beautiful..." Faramir and Aragorn looked to each other, then to Eomer.  
  
"Keep it in secrecy, Faramir. A man is entitled to the privacy of his dreams," Aragorn whispered, looking to Eomer. Faramir nodded, as they exited the room.

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my longest chapter yet. thanks again for the great reviews!! I'm glad you guys like. and feel free to let me know what you don't like. gives me ideas on how to develop the story. thanks again, and keep reviewing =] 


	6. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: well, once again I'm overwhelmed with the reviews. I'm so happy that this story is well liked. I said it once, and I'll say it again, the reviews rock. thanks so much!! oh, hehe, and yes, I meant "previous" rather than "pervious". hehe, thanks for keeping me on my toes! hope you enjoy!=]

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Chapter 5: Breaking Barriers  
  
The sun was beginning to set on the White City, and the amber light the sun projected shined beautifully on the white colored walls of the city. Just as beautiful was the scene of sunlight shining through the rows of tall, glass windows that lined the hall where a congregation of friends and family gathered to witness the union of Eowyn and Faramir. The couple stood before the crowd, pledging their infinite love and allegiance to one other, each drinking from the same cup and lighting a single candle to represent the joining together of lives. Eomer stood in the front row, watching his sister as she agreed to love Faramir with all she had. His mind wandered to the day he had first announced Faramir and Eowyn's engagement, in Rohan. In the beginning, Eomer was a bit doubtful of the union. They had found each other so quickly, and Eowyn was young. However, he realized just how great a love Faramir had for his sister, and Eomer could feel in his heart that blessing his sister's choice was the right decision. Eomer could not think of a time when she looked so happy.  
  
His mind flashed back to the Pelennor Fields, as he remembered having found her unconscious lying next to his uncle's body. Eomer could never forget what he felt that day on the Fields after having found his sister the way he did. He vividly remembered having fallen to his knees, his whole body numb. Eomer thought he had lost Eowyn forever; his companion, his sister, his friend. He thought he would die that day, in battle, his heart mortally wounded from the despair. However, he hadn't lost his sister, not to death. He was overjoyed, but now, at her wedding months later, he could not help but admit that his heart sank, for now it was certain that he had lost her.  
  
When the marriage ceremony was complete, the crowd clapped with joy as Faramir and Eowyn parted from a tender kiss they shared to seal their union. They turned, facing the congregation, and made their way down the aisle, where they would eventually make their way to the celebration hall. Before the newly married couple walked any further, however, Eowyn stopped to greet her brother, who smiled warmly at her, kissing her on the forehead. She smiled, and bowed her head before continuing down the aisle alongside her new husband.

* * *

_**In the Hall...**_  
  
After the grand feast, the tables were cleared and pushed to the sides as music began to play and people started to gather in the center of the hall to dance. Eomer stood in conversation with Erchirion, speaking of politics and the well fare of their individual homes. Erchirion had excused himself to get another glass of wine, when Eomer noticed Aragorn approaching him, and he greeted the King.  
  
"Quite the ceremony," Eomer said as Aragorn stood beside him.  
  
"Yes, well, it is my first time conducting a marriage. I was quite nervous," Aragorn replied, clasping his hands behind his back as he watched the four Hobbits engage themselves in conversation with Gimli and Legolas.  
  
"I noticed no anxiety. I pay you my compliments, Elessar. If you fail miserably as a king, there is hope for you yet as a conductor of marriages." Both men laughed in harmony.  
  
"I admit, I do hope to conduct another marriage soon," Aragorn replied, turning to Eomer.  
  
"Oh no, not you as well Aragorn? Trust me, my friend; you are not alone in your hope of marriage. It seems that all of Rohan is hoping to attend my own marriage soon, or so my counselors in Meduseld tell me."  
  
"It is only fitting that they anticipate an heir for the Riddermark."  
  
"Yes, I know. I just, I would have wished to marry for love. But the days pass quickly, and I do not become any younger in age. If it comes to it, I will marry for duty." Aragorn could sense the strain in Eomer's tone. Why shouldn't the man marry for love? His sister has, his parents had, and his friends have. But maybe Eomer needed a bit of push in a certain direction to realize that love was not too far off.  
  
"What of Lothiriel, Eomer. How do you perceive the woman?"  
  
"She is my dear friend's daughter. I am not sure I have any more to say about it. I admit, our first meeting was not very pleasant."  
  
Aragorn chuckled. "Indeed. But she is beautiful, however, is she not?"  
  
Eomer paused at this. He very well knew the answer, but he was not sure whether or not to respond to Aragorn. He did not want the King to jump to conclusions. "I suppose," he replied, nonchalantly.  
  
Aragorn knew Eomer restrained to reveal his true emotions, for whatever reasons. The King knew the truth, however. He had heard it with his own ears the night before. Aragorn fell silent for a moment, and turned to face Eomer. "You needn't hide anything from me, Eomer, I see how you look at her. Her beauty captures your senses."  
  
Eomer raised an eyebrow at his friend, wondering just how much he really knew. "Do you persuade me to her, Elessar?"  
  
Aragorn sighed. "I do not, for it is your decision. I only suggest, Eomer King. Twas just a suggestion," he said smiling, as he turned to face the dance floor once again. It seemed that Merry and Pippin had found their way to the center of the dance floor, as did Arwen with Faramir, and Eowyn with Gimli, all laughing merrily as people danced around them. Aragorn noticed Lothiriel watching the same site, as she stood alone away from her father's dear friends. "Look, she stands alone. Offer a hand to her, if she'd like some company."  
  
Eomer turned to where Aragorn was motioning, and saw that Lothiriel looked miserable amongst the crowd of strangers she gathered to. '_I_ _suppose I could not allow her to seclude_ _herself_' he thought, and turned to Aragorn who smiled at him. "What do you smile at?" Eomer asked amused.  
  
"Nothing. I assure you I meant no jest. I will take my leave," Aragorn replied, and went to find Legolas. Eomer sighed, as he made his way through the hall to greet Lothiriel.

* * *

_**ELSEWHERE...**_  
  
Lothiriel was once again watching as people danced merrily to the lively music playing. It amused her to see the Hobbits enjoying their stay in Gondor. Two were dancing joyously next to the Master Dwarf Gimli, who danced with the Lady Eowyn, and her husband Faramir who danced with the Queen. The other two watched cheerfully alongside Gandalf. Her brothers were not far away, engaged in conversation with the Master Elf Legolas and King Elessar. Lothiriel hesitated to join them, for she was afraid to be in such noble company, though she admitted to having a part of her long to share what they all had shared. Just then she heard a familiar voice call to her.  
  
"Lothiriel," Lothiriel turned to see her father approach. "Come, I'd like you to meet a company of dear friends."  
  
Lothiriel looked at her father in silence. Imrahil only gave her a puzzling look.  
  
"Lothiriel? Will you not join us?"  
  
"I am afraid," she said softly.  
  
"Afraid? Of the Hobbits??" Imrahil asked, half joking, half questioning had it been the truth.  
  
"Father! I do not fear the company, rather, I fear having an audience with the company. I would not know what to say."  
  
"Just be yourself, daughter. You needn't be afraid; I've placed you in high regards. You will not encounter sharp words with these people."  
  
Lothiriel only sighed in frustration. Her heart ached at the fact that her Father wished her to feel comfortable amongst his friends, but she could not. Imrahil could not understand, '_He_ _will never understand_ _it_' she decided. She crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows, and Imrahil knew that she had put her foot down, and refused to join them.  
  
Imrahil let out a heavy sigh. "Suite yourself then, Lothiriel. If you wish to retire for the night, I will come see you in the morning," Imrahil said to her, his eyes pleading with the girl once last time. Lothiriel only kept her arms crossed, and turned away. But instantly her arms loosened, as her hard expression did, and she turned to apologize to her father, but he was out of sight amidst the crowds of people. However, in standing on her toes to try and catch a glimpse of where her father might have been, she noticed Eomer making his way towards her.  
  
When he approached, Lothiriel bowed her head to greet him, and he nodded in acknowledgement, bowing his head as well.  
  
"Do you not wish to be with your friends?" Lothiriel questioned, looking up at the King.  
  
"Well, I most certainly could not let you stand here alone," he said, a small smile creeping across his face.  
  
Lothiriel was surprised, and looked to Eomer, who was watching Merry and Pippin dance. "No my Lord, really I insist that you join them. I would feel awful to keep you from your friends."  
  
"Nonsense. There will be time for me to reminisce with them. But I refuse to let you wander this hall alone. Besides, let your brothers and father enjoy themselves. I am glad to keep you company if it means that they needn't worry." There was, yet again, an awkward silence between them, as Lothiriel could not persuade Eomer to change his mind.  
  
Suddenly, a lively song began to play, and a group began to gather to dance a traditional step to the familiar song.  
  
Lothiriel's gloomy face quickly turned to an expression of excitement, as she turned to Eomer. "Dance with me then, my Lord Eomer."  
  
Eomer looked down at Lothiriel, who had a wide smile across her face. "Unfortunately, Princess, I must decline. I am afraid I am not familiar with the dance."  
  
"Tis alright, really. I too, know it not."  
  
Eomer laughed and questioned her further. "How do you intend to dance along with the masses if you, nor I, know the steps?"  
  
Lothiriel shrugged. "We can follow along as the song progresses. It does not look too difficult."  
  
"You mean to make a mockery of us both, Princess," Eomer said, smiling.  
  
Lothiriel giggled in response. "I mean to do no such thing. Think of it this way, if we look like fools, we will look like fools together. Come now, have I yet to give you a reason to distrust my lead?"  
  
Eomer mocked pondering, raising an eyebrow at her. "Do you forget so easily, Princess, the previous night?"  
  
Lothiriel laughed, rolling her eyes as she did so. "Come!" she said, pulling him onto the dance floor. They stood across from each other; Lothiriel lifting the skirt of her lavender gown a bit to dance easier. She watched the couple next to her, attempting to imitate their steps, as Eomer did the same.  
  
Each awkward movement and little mistake had them lightly tripping over their own, as well as each other's, feet, and Lothiriel laughed jovially with each step. Eomer could not help but laugh with her, knowing very well that he was making a fool of himself. The congregation who refrained from dancing watched the Princess and the King, ladies of the court gossiping as the couple danced, and men making jokes of how a swan of Dol Amroth would survive in the dry plains of Rohan. Eomer was aware of the stares and whispers, as was Lothiriel. However, where Eomer became conscious, Lothiriel did not. She could care less about what they had to say about her, she only knew that this sad excuse for a dance with the King of Rohan was enjoyable beyond her expectation, and this confidence seemed to please Eomer.  
  
Not only was the congregation watching, but friends and family of the odd pairing were watching intently as well. Eowyn smiled to Faramir, who guessed at to what his new wife was thinking. Aragorn turned to Arwen, and whispered in her ear, causing Arwen to laugh lightly. Gimli announced that there may be another marriage to prepare for, as the Hobbits, Gandalf, and Legolas all agreed, smiling at Imrahil. Imrahil only chuckled in response, as they all turned to watch the Princess and King. It was clear that the two were beginning to enjoy each other's company.

* * *

hehe, long again. hope you liked. thanks again, SOOOOOO much for the reviews. I appreciate each and every one!! and keep reviewing =] 


	7. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks again for the reviews!! I realize, after reading reviews, that in the other chapter having Lothiriel go from moping to dance crazy was, in fact, odd. I think the problem was that I overly described her emotions from on extreme to the next. What I was thinking of was that she just felt left out, and she couldn't bring herself to really try, and pushing her to try made it worse. A bit of pride and a bit of fear all rolled into one. Then with the sudden excitement, it was supposed to be like, something to get her mind off of what was going on, so I probably needed to of gone into depth on that aspect. Just wanted to clear that up. Other than that, hope you all enjoy =].

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Chapter 6: And So it Begins  
  
It had been two days after the wedding, and Lothiriel stood out on the terrace of her room looking over the plains. She would be leaving the next day with her Father and Brothers, and, as promised, in a week or two Faramir and Eowyn would be staying in Dol Amroth for a visit. Lothiriel watched as the tall grass of the plains swayed gently, and in such a peaceful moment, she remembered her mother. Her mother used to walk with her in tall grassed fields. How she missed the gentle touch of her mother's hand holding her own.  
  
"Lothiriel?" Lothiriel turned to see Daerien smile at her. She smiled back in response. "Your things are packed, my Lady. I left out your clothes for tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you, Daerien."  
  
"If I may, were you thinking of him, and the dance you shared?" Daerien asked, smiling widely. Lothiriel chuckled, as she made her way to her bed where her boots lay beside it.  
  
She sat on the bed and began to lace up her boots. "I told you numerous times, Daerien. It was but one dance, and a very awful one at that. It was only in fun, it meant nothing to me," she replied, as she stood and made her way to her dresser, searching for a leather tie for her hair.  
  
"Yes well, it might of meant nothing, but it certainly has caused quite a stir among the ladies and lords of the courts, or so the fellow handmaids say. Why, think of it Lothiriel, Queen of Rohan. The title carries quite a ring to it, does it not?"  
  
Lothiriel rolled her eyes, as she tied all of her hair back with the thin leather strap. "I suppose, but I do not wish to marry a man for simply a title. It is quite a waste of life, for only a title. It makes no sense to me."  
  
"Yes of course, I did not mean marry the man for title alone, I mean, there is the factor of a general _liking_ for each other."  
  
"Which, in the case of Eomer and I, is highly questionable as our first meeting would prove."  
  
"I would not be so sure, Lothiriel. You two seem to cross paths more often than not, and you do not always reject his presence. I only present it as an option, and a highly recommended one at that."  
  
"Well, I'll be sure to consider your suggestion, but I assure you my heart does not stir over this man. I am sorry to have to disappoint you, or any lady of the court," Lothiriel replied, clasping her cloak around her neck.  
  
"And where are you off to in such a hurry?" Daerien asked before Lothiriel completely exited the room.  
  
"I want to see the City one more time before leaving. I will not go far, maybe to the fifth circle and back. I shall try my best to be prompt for supper, but I make no promises. Tell my Father I have gone," she replied, exiting and making her way to the citadel's main doors.

* * *

_**ELSEWHERE...**_  
  
Eomer sighed, mentally exhausted from such a long day. The morning was filled with meetings and political talks, as it was Imrahil's last day in Minas Tirith, and Aragorn felt that Eomer, Faramir and other nobles should gather to have counsel with him. All the talks and debates had tired Eomer's mind, and the weather did not help to lift his mood. It was rather cloudy and dreary, though the clouds did not seem dark enough for rain, he concluded. As he wandered the halls, he felt a great need to relax and gather his thoughts, so he decided to take a ride out into the city, or maybe even the Pelennor Fields, if time allowed him before supper.  
  
Moments later he had made his way to the stables, mounted Firefoot, and rode off into the city. Atop Firefoot, he leisurely trekked through the streets, observing and admiring the city life as he did so. After descending one circle, he noticed Lothiriel ascending the streets, approaching him from the opposite direction. Lothiriel noticed Eomer as well, and refrained from walking any further. Eomer sighed, and made his way towards the Princess.  
  
He bowed his head to her, and she greeted him in the same fashion. He then dismounted his horse, and turned to her. "I did not expect to see you about the city, Princess," he said.  
  
"I did not expect to see you either, King. I would of thought you'd be in counsel along with my father and brothers."  
  
"I was. They ended only an hour or so ago, and I needed to relax from such a tiring morning, so I decided to ride out. And you, my Lady?"  
  
"I only needed a breath of fresh air, and I wanted to see the City before my departure. It is quite beautiful and I am very fond of the White Walls," she replied, her eyes wandering around her to look upon the city.  
  
Eomer watched her, as she turned her head to the side, noticing her blushed cheeks and, what he considered to be, Elven features.  
  
Lothiriel turned to face him once more and she noticed that he was staring at her. "What is it? Why do you look at me so?"  
  
Eomer shook his head lightly, and smiled to ease her curiosity. "My apologies, it is nothing. Are you returning to the citadel?"  
  
"Yes, I did not wish to be late for supper. Well, in honesty, had it been my choice I would have skipped supper altogether, but I do not wish the King or Queen, or my Father for that matter, to think ill of me."  
  
Eomer nodded in agreement, and Lothiriel took her leave of him. She bowed her head, and passed Eomer to ascend to the next level of the City, when Eomer suddenly turned and called out to her.  
  
"Lothiriel!" Lothiriel turned to look at him, puzzled. "Would you like to accompany me? Out riding to the Pelennor Fields, that is. I suppose we would have to miss supper, but if any questions are asked, I will vouch for you, and take blame if necessary. If you would allow me, I would like to compensate for our first meeting."  
  
Lothiriel pondered this for a moment. If she hadn't of known better, she would have sworn that Eomer's proud eyes were pleading with her. She smiled, chuckling lightly to approach the King once more to reply. She was truly flattered by his offer, and she admitted that the idea tempted her greatly. "I am sorry, I must decline. It is not that I do not want to be in your company, it is just, I do not wish to ride a horse."  
  
Eomer's eyes widened and he gasped lightly. "You do not like horses?" he asked in shocked.  
  
"No, no, it is not that I do not like horses, it is just, I am not very good at riding one. And I admit, I am a bit afraid when I sit atop a horse." She gave a look to Eomer as if to say she was sorry, and Eomer smiled when her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.  
  
"Afraid? I assure you Lothiriel there is nothing to fear. You will be riding with the King of the Horse Lords. I assure you, you will be safe."  
  
Lothiriel was silent for a moment, but once again Eomer's eyes seem to plead with her, and she felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes met deadlocked with his own. She gradually began to nod and finally agreed. Eomer smiled as he took her hand and helped her atop the horse. Lothiriel left space in front of her where she wished Eomer to sit, for she preferred to hold on tight rather than be held on to. She spoke to him as he mounted the horse.  
  
"I am terrible at riding, and I admit I do not enjoy it much _because_ I am terrible. Just please do not go too qui...aahhhhhhhh!!" she cried, swiftly grabbing and holding on tightly to Eomer's waist. He commanded Firefoot to ride quickly, on purpose, so that it would not be too dark when they had reached outside the City Gates.  
  
Moments later... When they had finally reached the Pelennor, Eomer halted Firefoot. Though the sun had not completely set, it was becoming rather dark. However, Eomer knew his horse needed to rest, and so the two sat on the Pelennor Fields, looking towards the river as Firefoot rested his legs.  
  
"I remember fighting alongside your Father on this very field," Eomer said, finally breaking the silence. "He is a great warrior."  
  
"I admit, I never favored my Father as a warrior. I hated seeing him leave; especially when I was younger I never enjoyed the experience of having to watch him ride out of Dol Amroth. He is very dear to me." They did not turn to each other. They only kept their eyes on the River, and spoke aloud for the other to hear, each content with sitting next to the other.  
  
"Aye, he is dear to me as well. I imagine what you felt when your Father would leave, is much like what my sister would feel when I, or Theodred, or my uncle for that matter, would leave her behind in Meduseld. How she hated to be left behind."  
  
Lothiriel looked at Eomer, whose gaze was in the direction of the water. She noticed his distant expression, and his eyes heavy with sadness. "You will truly miss her, will you not?"  
  
"Yes. I will miss her greatly."  
  
"As you should, she is your sister. But do not fret; my cousin loves her dearly, as well. He would give Arda to her if she wished for it. She is very lucky to have found a love so pure."  
  
Eomer turned to look at Lothiriel, who was looking towards the sky. He could see in her eyes the longing for that sort of love, the pure love that his sister had found. She looked so beautiful, all her dark hair tied back to reveal her fair complexion. He felt he needed to tell her, and suddenly his palms grew warm and his heart began to race. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, how simply and utterly breathtaking she looked to him. "Lothiriel..." he finally breathed.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Y-you... you look..." but before he could finish he felt a drop of water splat on his head. Lothiriel felt one as well, looking straight up at the rain clouds that had gathered. Suddenly it began to rain heavily, and both stood quickly, Eomer extending his cloak over Lothiriel, but she pushed his hand away. He looked at her puzzled, as she was laughing innocently. "Let us retreat to shelter, quickly!" he called, but Lothiriel shook her head.  
  
"Let us dance!! The temperature is perfect! Come, we must enjoy it!" she called back, the pattering of the drops making quite a noise.  
  
Eomer chuckled, admiring her spirit. "Then enjoy it we shall!" he responded, running to her and lifting her up by her legs. Lothiriel laughed merrily as Eomer began to spin; arms stretched out and her head facing the sky.

* * *

**_An hour or so later...  
_**  
The King and the Princess returned to the citadel, completely soaked. After returning Firefoot to the stables, Eomer agreed to walk Lothiriel to her room. It seemed that most of the citadel had retired for the evening, save a few servants and counselors that walked about. As they made their way to the Princess's quarters, they talked and laughed merrily, mostly about having danced in the rain; Lothiriel recalled how Eomer had slipped, retaining his balance but dropping his cloak in the mud. She could never forget the look on his face, when he thought he would slip and land on the ground.  
  
When they finally reached her door, Lothiriel turned to the King, smiling happily. "Thank you, very much. It was truly memorable."  
  
"It was my pleasure, Princess, though the rain was not planned on my part. But I am happy to know that you enjoyed yourself," he replied, smiling as widely as she.  
  
"Goodnight then, Eomer King."  
  
"Good night Princess." He bowed his head slightly, and she watched as he made his way to his own room. Lothiriel lightly bit her bottom lip, her heart racing with excitement.  
  
She stood silent for a moment, wondering what exactly it was she was feeling, but her fatigue got the better of her, and she decided to save the analyzing for another day. She turned the knob of her door, pushing the door open and gasping in shock at what she saw sitting on her bed.  
  
"Father..."

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I hope you enjoyed! started off to a bit of a slow start, but I hope you liked it anyway. remember to keep reviewing!! because I enjoy them a lot, hehe =] 


	8. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: the reviews rocked!! I actually didn't work on this chapter the night before posting it, like I had with all the rest. I had writer's block, so I decided to sleep it off and hoped I'd get ideas come morning time. Anyway hope you all enjoy!! =]

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Chapter 7: A Silly Girl  
  
_**Two Weeks Later...**_  
  
The sun was beginning to set on the city of Dol Amroth, and the golden rays that blanketed the city created a breathtaking site. Lothiriel sat atop her brother's bed, staring out the window that faced the sea. She recalled the conversation she and her father had the last night they were in Minas Tirith, and how angry he was at her. '_...In the rain, at such an hour! Alone with a man! What will I do with you Lothiriel? I am running out of patience when it comes to that uncontrollable spirit of yours..._' The words echoed through her mind, and though at the time she was angry, she gradually came to regret her anger, and eventually approached her father and apologized, clinging to him much like she had when she was a little girl. Lothiriel truly hated having her father angry with her, and her father apologizing for his tone and for scolding her only made her feel worse. He was the greatest man she knew, in her eyes.  
  
Lothiriel pulled herself out of her memory, and watched as her sister walked about the room, putting away Alphros's clothes and tidying up the room while the child slept in the nursery.  
  
"Idhren?" Lothiriel called to her in a gentle tone. Idhren was the wife of her brother, Elphir, and one of Lothiriel's dearest friends.  
  
Though Lothiriel loved all her brothers very much, Elphir was her least favorite of the three. She always felt as though he wanted to control her life, as well as the lives of the rest of the family, and she hated that. However, Elphir was kind to her, and he had his moments every so often, but Lothiriel felt that one of the greatest things he did in life was marry Idhren. Idhren was kind and compassionate to Lothiriel from the moment they met, and Lothiriel always felt comfortable going to Idhren for advice, which meant so much, since Lothiriel's mother died when she was young.  
  
"Hmmm?" Idhren answered, as she ventured from bed to dresser over and over again, transferring little Alphros's clothing.  
  
"How did you know that you loved Elphir? I mean, what was it that lead you to the conclusion that Elphir is the man who has your heart?" Lothiriel asked innocently. For the past two weeks, Lothiriel could not keep Eomer out of her mind. She knew that at the moment, she did not love him, nor did she really know if she cared about him, or took a liking to him, but it was as if he intrigued her to the point where she would go crazy if she did not find out more about him.  
  
Idhren paused for a moment to look at her young sister, her gray eyes watching Lothiriel fidget nervously. "And pray tell, sister, what would lead you to such questions?" she asked smiling, amused, as she took a seat on the bed next to Lothiriel.  
  
"C-curiosity really. You know, I have always taken a _passionate_ interest in the love life of my brother..." she said rather sarcastically, knowing Idhren would sense her jest.  
  
Idhren laughed, admiring the girl's sense of humor. "There is a man then? There must be, since you wish to hide your true intentions. Does he dwell in Minas Tirith? Did you meet him during your stay there?"  
  
"No, no, he is not of Minas Tirith. He is of Rohan..." she trailed off, looking at Idhren, who was thoroughly surprised.  
  
"The King, Lothiriel?" Idhren asked, remembering the story of how Lothiriel ran into the man, and exchanged sharp words with him.  
  
Lothiriel nodded slowly to confirm it. "I know our first meeting was not the greatest one, but, he intrigues me. When you see him, he looks too proud for his own good, and I admit that I thought his personality reflected the same idea when I first met him, but when I thought I had him figured out, he went and surprised me."  
  
"How so?"  
  
Lothiriel recounted to her the dancing they had done at the wedding, the frolic in the rain until nightfall, and the drinking contest they had had with the servants of Minas Tirith. With each story she told, Idhren could sense the girl's excitement, and a smile never left Lothiriel's face as she retold the stories, making it obvious that Lothiriel was fond of the experiences she had.  
  
Idhren only smiled warmly to her, Lothiriel giving her a pleading look, wanting to know what it was she felt or how she should go about it. Idhren cupped Lothiriel's face in her hands, brushing away a strand of hair that hung over her eye. "I cannot give you the answer, Lothiriel, I am afraid that you must discover it on your own. But I do not think it would be so difficult, when love comes, you will know it, and in your heart you will feel it. Do not fret," with that she placed a kiss atop Lothiriel's forehead, and smiled yet again to ease her sister's riled nerves. "Now come, I am sure my husband has returned from the tour around the city, and I admit it has been a rather uneventful day without Eowyn. I enjoy her company very much."  
  
"Aye, yes, I admire her as well," she replied.  
  
Eowyn and Faramir had arrived at the beginning of the week, and some three days later Elphir was finally able to take the couple out on a tour of Dol Amroth. "But, if I may, Idhren, I would like to stay behind for just a moment. You go on ahead, I will come to greet everyone soon." Idhren understood her reasoning, nodding in agreement, and left the room to make her way to the main hall of the palace.

* * *

**_Moments later..._**  
  
As Idhren approached the main hall, she heard voices laughing and chatting merrily, though she could not make out the conversation. As she drew closer, her husband, Amrothos and their guests came into sight, and she noticed another man stood amongst them, though she was not quite sure who it was.  
  
"Idhren!" her husband called to her, as he kissed her on the cheek. Idhren smiled warmly to the company to greet them all. "Idhren, I would like you to meet a dear friend of ours, this is Eomer, the King of Rohan." Idhren gasped, but quickly gathered her composure and curtseyed to the King. "He has come, on a bit of a surprise visit. No doubt because his sister is here," Elphir explained. Somehow, however, Idhren felt that he did not travel three days to visit only his sister.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," he said sweetly, but his attention was suddenly turned away from Idhren, as a voice called out his name.  
  
"Eomer?!" The entire party turned to see Lothiriel coming towards them, her mouth slightly gaping. "I mean, my Lord. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I... I thought I would visit I suppose, for your brother Amrothos bid me to come if ever I had the time. And there are some matters of business I have to speak of." Eomer kept his gaze on Lothiriel, and Lothiriel returned the stare. The two couples watching could feel the tension the awkward silence between them created. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Eowyn spoke.  
  
"Ah, brother, I will take you to your room and get you situated before supper, if the Lady of the House permits me," she said turning to Idhren. Idhren nodded politely, as Elphir called a maid to show Eomer to his quarters, and Eowyn followed.  
  
Idhren then turned to Lothiriel, who was watching as Eomer walked out of the hall, smiling happily.

* * *

_**Moments later, Elsewhere...  
**_  
Eowyn watched as her brother tried to 'organize' his things. He simply gathered all his clothing from his trunk, and threw it atop a dresser. Eowyn chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she watched from the bed.  
  
"Tell me, brother, the true reason for your journey here..." she asked, half questioning, half certain she already knew the answer.  
  
"Business, that is all, and I felt I needed a rest from the busy halls of Meduseld."  
  
"So, you did not find time for your visit, you _made_ time? And tell me, brother, why is that?"  
  
Eomer paused to look at his sister, annoyed. "Eowyn, do not start."  
  
"Start what? I am only curious."  
  
"Would it be so unbelievable that maybe I came to visit my sister as well?"  
  
"Not unbelievable, but falling short of the entire truth..." Eomer rolled his eyes and went about unpacking his things, attempting to ignore his sister. Eowyn noticed this, and quickly stood from the bed to follow his every step, speaking to him despite the fact that he paid no attention. "Why can you not admit that you like her? I see it in your eyes, brother, you cannot hide it! And I know about that little escapade in the rain the night before she left. Why, it is not character of you, Eomer. You like her, and that is why you partook in such a silly thing," she said to him, out of breath from trying to get him to listen to her.  
  
"Exactly, Eowyn, silly things. In the time that I have known Lothiriel, it has been nothing but silly things, one after the other, things I, myself, would not regularly do or even consider. What can come of that? If I was to court, it would only appear as one big jest." The words had a foul taste. Eomer knew that the Princess captivated him, and he did not know why he denied it so passionately. His sister, however, knew the reason.  
  
"Why are you so proud? Bite your tongue, for Eru sake. You know you are lying. I think that you are afraid because Lothiriel brings out a part of you that you yourself did not know about. You are only afraid that you might not be able to keep up with her spirit!" Eowyn scolded, frustrated that her brother was so head strong. She feared that he would miss out on something that could possibly make him happy, all because he was too proud to admit that he was afraid.  
  
Eomer's anger reached a brim, and though he wanted to scream something foul at his sister, he refrained. Instead, he was determined to prove her wrong. "She is but a silly girl to me, Eowyn!" he yelled wildly. His breath was rapid, though now he was not sure whether it was his anger or the passion he felt within his heart that he tried so desperately to hide. Eowyn only looked at him in an innocent fear, and Eomer's expression softened at the site of his sister.  
  
"Eowyn..." but before he could finish his apology, there was a crash at the door, and only then did the siblings realize that the door was slightly ajar. "Who is there?!" Eomer called commandingly, angered that an intruder would eavesdrop on their conversation. When he made his way to the door and opened it widely, his angered subsided and it was as if his heart stopped.  
  
"It is but a _silly girl_."  
  
Eomer stood frozen, not knowing what to say, and he felt all apologies would lead to folly. "Lothiriel..." he breathed, stepping towards her, but she violently stepped back.  
  
"Stay away from me!" she screamed. By this time the servants who had post in that particular part of the palace took notice, and Lothiriel looked down to her feet, embarrassed and angered, her emotions running wild. She looked up at Eomer, hurt all over her face. "Stay away..." she said meekly, and turned to run but tripped slightly, loosing her balance and hitting her head on the corner of a side table, her forehead cut open and blood beginning to trickle.  
  
"Lothiriel!" Eowyn and Eomer cried, witnessing everything. Lothiriel was still conscious however, and though she was now emotionally and physically hurt, she was more worried with the fact that she had made a complete fool of herself.  
  
She quickly stood up and hit away the hand Eomer extended to her, running off without saying a word, Eowyn and Eomer left speechless as well.

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thanks again for the reviews guys. this is not one of my best chapters, and I apologize for the boring-ness. it was the hardest one for me to write so far just because I had the worst case of writer's block. I hope it comes off more interesting than I think it is. I just needed a chapter as a transition for other things I planned. anyway, hope you liked, and thanks again for the reviews!! don't forget to keep reviewing, hehe =] 


	9. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: loving the reviews!! thanks so much!!! =]

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Chapter 8: A Revelation?  
  
"Run after her!" Eowyn commanded.  
  
Eomer stood in the doorway, watching Lothiriel grow smaller and smaller in sight, but at the command of his sister he quickly found his feet and ran after her.  
  
The emotion in Lothiriel was so strong that her energy for running seemed endless. She ran through the halls of the sleeping quarters, the main hall, making her way to the main entrance of the palace and into the city, past the merchants to her left and the sailors to her right, past the numerous homes of her people, past the pens holding flocks of sheep and cattle, and finally stopping in the open fields outside of the city. All the while Eomer had been running after her, calling to her. She ignored his calls, however, and ignored the stares she received from family and Amrothians alike.  
  
Eomer finally caught up to her, as she was on her knees, gasping for air. Eomer hunched over, almost falling on the ground trying to regain oxygen. He looked to her, but she seemed to take no notice of him, she only kept to looking at the ground, even after her hard breathing subsided to normalcy. Eomer then remembered the girl's injury, and wondered if maybe she had passed out or was beginning to feel the effects of the cut. He went to her and knelt beside her, lifting her head by her chin to look at the wound.  
  
"I can tend to it myself," she said coldly, standing shakily, obviously dizzy, but pushing away Eomer's arm as he stood with her and tried to help her balance.  
  
"Let me help you," Eomer said rather annoyed, worried that the wound was worse than he thought.  
  
"No... no just stay away from me!" Lothiriel replied, pushing him away. She groggily walked away from him, but suddenly stopped in front of a small thicket of trees. Eomer watched from a few feet away, puzzled, as she froze in front of this small grouping of bushes and trees.  
  
"Lothiriel?" he asked softly, coming up from behind her, but she did not stir.  
  
"Something moves in the bush..." she said softly, and Eomer felt a twinge of panic in his heart, for upon rushing out of his quarters, he did not think to arm himself.  
  
"Come... Lothiriel come we must go back!" he whispered pleadingly, but her gaze was fixated on the bush. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stepped closer to examine something shiny that caught her eye. She slowly reached out her hand to touch it, but before she could a rather short and robust man jumped up from within the shrub and Lothiriel gasped in surprise.  
  
"Who are you?" she demanded.  
  
"Ah, I am sorry miss, I did not mean to frighten you. I thought that you would take the advice of your male companion and leave, but instead you came closer so I decided it was better to reveal myself," he replied calmly. "My, that is quite a cut you have, miss," he said, stepping closer to Lothiriel to examine it. Eomer came closer to Lothiriel as well, however, and the man backed away, realizing Eomer's protective stance.  
  
"We will tend to it ourselves," Eomer said sternly.  
  
"No, _we_ will not. _I_ will tend to it myself, like I said before. I need not your help nor your pity," Lothiriel announced, to the annoyance of Eomer.  
  
"Must you be so stubborn that you gamble your own health? Let me help you!"  
  
"I am stubborn?? I am no more stubborn than you! It is as if I speak to a mule!"  
  
The stranger watched speechless, as Lothiriel and Eomer continued to raise their voices and argue passionately. "Excuse me," he called, trying to intervene, but they ignored his quiet plead. "EXCUSE ME!" he cried out in a scream, finally getting their attention. "If I may, it is getting dark and I would not recommend to have the lady travel in such a condition, especially since, you sir, have no weapon about you. If you'd like, my camp is only a few feet away."  
  
"Ah, that sounds wonderfu..." but before Lothiriel could finish, Eomer interrupted.  
  
"Wait a moment, you never answered the Lady's question as to who you are exactly. What are you doing camping outside of the city? Had you any business here you'd be within the city gates."  
  
"My family and I are but passing through Belfalas, and thought it to be a grand idea to camp here for tonight. The sea is rather beautiful. Please allow me to tend to that wound; it is bleeding quite much for my own comfort." Lothiriel began to follow him, but Eomer halted her.  
  
"I do not trust him," he said in a demanding whisper, Lothiriel only looking annoyed.  
  
"Please sir, we have water and food if either of you need nourishment," the stranger said gently. Lothiriel turned to Eomer, nodding her head for them to follow, but Eomer stood his ground.  
  
"I think we will manage," Eomer replied.  
  
"And we have a fire going, for I hear it gets rather cold here come mid- night."  
  
"I will build a fire for us."  
  
"We would provide a place for you both to sleep for the night, our blankets and pillows, I assure you, are the softest, blessed by the Valar themselves, or so it feels."  
  
Lothiriel stood impatiently as the men insisted on each other over and over again. The cool air began to sting her wound, as she began to feel dizzy and her mouth dry and begging for water.  
  
"Please, won't you join us?" the stranger asked politely.  
  
"Well, you need not ask me twice!" Lothiriel replied, everything the man offered being what she needed, and enough for her to not care where he was from or who he was. What mattered most to her at the moment was the nagging feeling of pain and fatigue.  
  
"No! I am sorry sir, but we must decline. Thank you for your kindness, but we must be off," Eomer told him, taking Lothiriel by the arm as she protested.  
  
"Well then you leave me no choice, I take you as my captives," the stranger said smiling, Lothiriel and Eomer turning to see him pointing his sword at them. Lothiriel laughed, realizing that the man was trying to help, and followed him willingly. The stranger looked to Eomer to follow as well, and Eomer complied, much to his dismay for he had no choice.

* * *

**_Later that night..._  
**  
Eomer hated to admit it, but he was glad for their 'kidnapping', and relieved to see that Caladon, the stranger, was able to tend to Lothiriel's wound. Caladon had a rather large family traveling with him, which not only consisted of his wife and five children but also extended to include his sister, her husband and their three kids, and his wife's brother, his wife and their two kids. The sight only amused Lothiriel and Eomer, however, for the children danced merrily around the fire under the moonlight, and each of the lords and their wives were warm in welcoming the pair.  
  
It put Eomer to ease to see Lothiriel laughing and smiling, as she watched the children dance around the fire and listened to Caladon tell stories, being quite the comedian. When each of the lords gradually took to making small talk with their wives, Eomer stood and made his way to sit by Lothiriel, quiet for a moment.  
  
"I am sorry, Lothiriel. I suppose this is all my fault," he said to her softly.  
  
"Yes, it is," she simply replied.  
  
"It is good to know you keep humble through all of this," Eomer said sarcastically.  
  
"Do not speak to me of humility. If not for your pride I would not be away from home this night and you would need not apologize for anything."  
  
Eomer sighed, not wanting to argue. "Yes, I know. Truly I am sorry, Princess. I did not mean for you to hear such sharp words."  
  
"But you meant them had I heard you or not?"  
  
Eomer fell silent for a moment, once again feeling his heart harden in fear, but he pushed the fear aside, deciding that Lothiriel had been through enough for one night. The least he could do for the girl was speak the truth. He turned to her; in awe of how beautiful she looked as the light from the fire reflected off her porcelain skin and the light from the moon shined upon her dark hair.  
  
"I meant no word of it," he breathed, gazing into her eyes, moving closer to her. Lothiriel gazed in return, her eyes moving from his stare to his lips and back again, noticing that Eomer did the same. He finally leaned in to kiss her, but just as his lips lightly met her own, she pushed herself to pull away and quickly stood up.  
  
"You meant no word, so what did you truly mean to say?" she asked, crossing her arms. Eomer stood and pulled her close to him, drawn in by her scent and his heart racing faster.  
  
"What does it matter?" he said softly, leaning in once again to place a light kiss upon her lips. Lothiriel returned the kiss, for only a moment however, and though difficult, pulled away once again.  
  
"It matters a great deal! Do you not know that in these two weeks I have driven myself to the brink of insanity trying to figure out whether or not my heart stirred for you? And when you arrived today, all doubt subsided just seeing you. I want to be in your company more often than naught, Eomer."  
  
"Then be in it..." he blurted, making his way towards her once again and pulling her to him to kiss her, again; her lips soft and her passion gentle.  
  
Once again, however, Lothiriel pulled away, this time staying within Eomer's grip and keeping her arms around his neck. "And what can this mean, King?" she asked amused, her cheeks flushed and warm. Her question was more like a statement, and Eomer relaxed, burying his face amidst her dark hair, his head placed so that they were cheek to cheek.  
  
"_Marry me_..." he breathed lightly in mock desperation, Lothiriel giggling happily knowing he did not mean it, not _yet_ anyway.  
  
"Come, we must dance! For if my ears did not deceive me, I should think we have the makings of a pair of lovers here this night!" Caladon cried, grabbing the hand of Lothiriel, who in turn grabbed Eomer's hand, as the company formed a circle and merrily danced the night away.

* * *

thanks again for the reviews guys!! I hope you liked, because again I didn't feel like this was a great chapter. Gah, I'm hoping I can get back on track again, and be happy with my chapters. but anyway, hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review!! =] 


	10. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: again, the reviews are loved! thanks so much guys. alright, well, I think I'll take the time out to address some reviews I got for the last chapter, since there were a lot of questions and I think them all justified.  
  
**freelance beatnik**: with the whole kidnapping thing, I probably should have used a better word to describe it. It was really just a way for Caladon to help Lothiriel, because it was obvious that Eomer wouldn't let either of them go so easily. So it was like, they would not come freely so he had to use force, type of thing. thanks for the review!!!  
  
**lady scribe of avandell**: yeah, I agree it was moving at a quick pace. I guess I made the mistake of trying to pack too many things into one chapter. so sorry though, but thanks so much for the review!!  
  
**LOTR-nutcase**: I totally agree. again, I should have used a better word than "kidnapping", maybe capturing or holding hostage. and the other thing, again, I totally agree that a lot of the things that go on are blamed on Eomer, but in future chapters Lothiriel will try to make up for that, or so I'll write. and I realize that her emotions are quite violent, but in a way that's what I was hoping for. she's sort of young and spontaneous but passionate and extreme at times also. but I see what you mean, and I agree that I should probably tone down her extremes. thanks so much for the advice, I love that you like the story, and your opinion did help!! thanks again!!  
  
**Eokat, kati58, milissas, Rana Ningue, and Angel of the Night Watchers**: thanks so much for your reviews!! I'm glad that you liked it!!!  
  
hope you enjoy! =]

* * *

Chapter 9: The Simplicities That Mean the World  
  
Dawn approached as Eomer and Lothiriel entered the palace, a cool breeze blowing through before passing the main doors. Upon returning that morning, Eomer and Lothiriel we're met with angry words and worried eyes. They were immediately called to Imrahil's study, and Imrahil, who was beside himself, scolded the couple quite passionately. Had it not been at the request of Eowyn to give her brother but a day to return, Imrahil would have sent every guard he had in Dol Amroth out searching for them. In truth, he trusted Eomer. It was Lothiriel he worried about, and what made matters worse was the fact that Lothiriel had been so careless with her health, and did not bother to take into consideration that she was hurt.  
  
As Imrahil stood before the couple, pacing and muttering words of disappointment and relief, Eomer let a smile creep across his face, reaching his hand over to Lothiriel's and taking it gently, his thumb rubbing against her own as he held her hand. Imrahil paused from his pacing, and turned to the couple, watching as they gazed into each other's eyes with much admiration, hands clasped together. They had not noticed that Imrahil had stopped talking, or that he watched as they smiled to one another, which led him to believe that they had not been listening at all. He knew then that Eomer wished to court Lothiriel, though in his heart he doubted the union. It was not because Eomer was not a worthy man, nor was it that Lothiriel was unworthy of Eomer, but it was the fact that Lothiriel seemed so unable to act sensibly. Her reckless behavior, more so in the past few weeks, are what truly clouded Imrahil's mind when it came to the idea of her being courted by a King.  
  
"Ahem," Imrahil coughed, wanting to have their attention. They both looked at Imrahil who stood silent with his arms crossed, letting go of each other's hand, each giving a humbled look. "Do not think that you will go unpunished," he said sternly, They both looked down humbly, waiting to hear what punishment Imrahil would speak of. "It is quite clear that the two of you have found favor in one another, and are growing fond of each other. Though I do not condemn any ideas of courting, I do not fully approve of them either. If you wish to court my daughter, Eomer, then I give you my consent, for I cannot control your decisions or actions."  
  
"My Lord," Eomer said softly, nodding in agreement. He had quite a bit of respect for Imrahil, and though he really did not have to heed his words, Eomer did so with every bit of reverence he would have had he been talking to his own father.  
  
"However," Imrahil said as he turned to Lothiriel, "Lothiriel, you are still my daughter, and though you are a grown woman I very well can control your actions, whether it be under the command of a Father or Prince of higher power. Thus said, your punishment for your actions upon yester eve will be complete and total restriction from any sort of contact with the Lord Eomer, for the remainder of this day." Lothiriel's, as well as Eomer's eyes widened, Eomer only nodding in compliance, and Lothiriel protesting immediately.  
  
"But father, surely not the entire day? Maybe until supper, or until the sun sets upon the sea?" she pleaded. Lothiriel felt as if her Father should have just called complete and total restriction from Eomer forever, the feeling for Lothiriel being one in the same. Eomer having professed his favor in Lothiriel just hours before, and she would have to spend the rest of the day without him.  
  
"The COMPLETE day, Lothiriel. You may continue your courtship come tomorrow morn, but for this day, I would ask that you both respect my wishes, and try your best to avoid crossing each other's paths," Imrahil replied sternly. "Now, no doubt you both need a change of clothes. Eomer, when you finish cleaning up, return here to my study, and we shall have breakfast on the study terrace. Lothiriel you may have breakfast in the dining hall as usual." Lothiriel and Eomer both nodded in acknowledge, and took their leave of Imrahil, exiting his study.  
  
Once outside the room, Lothiriel turned to Eomer and pulled him to her, placing a quite passionate kiss upon his lips, leaning forward upon his chest as he held her close. Just then, however, the door to the study opened, and Imrahil stood in the doorway watching as the two were already breaking his rule.  
  
"Lothiriel!" he called, arms crossed as Lothiriel and Eomer quickly broke apart and looked to him. "The restriction starts _now_, Lothiriel."  
  
Lothiriel nodded in compliance. "Yes, of course Father," she replied shakily, the passion of the kiss stunning her for a moment, as she turned to make her way towards her quarters.  
  
Eomer watched as she walked away, then looked to Imrahil, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised at him.  
  
"I am sorry my Lord," he mumbled, as he walked away in the opposite direction, deciding to take the long way to his quarters.

* * *

**_An Hour or so Later..._**  
  
Lothiriel watched from her bedroom window as the sun slowly rose higher and higher above the seaside city. She felt it breathtaking; wishing that she could of shared it with Eomer. She sighed heavily, '_I suppose one day would not hurt, and it is the least I could do for my father_,' she thought to herself, making her way to her dresser. The pale yellow dress she chose for the day beautifully complimented her long, dark hair and rose cheeks. Finding her thin leather strap for her hair, she parted two strands on either side of her head, twisted them, then clasped the ends together in the center of the back of her head. After finding her boots, putting them on and tying them she exited her room to make her way to the dining hall. After only taking a few steps down the hall, however, she looked to see Idhren running to her.  
  
"Sister! Ah it is good to see you are safe," Idhren said, pulling her into an embrace. "That is quite a cut upon your forehead," she commented as they pulled apart.  
  
Lothiriel lightly ran her fingers over the cut, almost having forgotten about it altogether. "Oh, yes, well, it was much worse yesterday. I have much to tell you, Idhren," she started, but Idhren cut her short.  
  
"Well, you must tell me later on in the day, sister, for I am just now going to my quarters to change, and I will be off for the morning with your brother," she told, excited.  
  
"Off for the morning? Where ever to?"  
  
"Your brother and I are going to have a picnic upon the beach over looking the bay. Oh, Lothiriel I admit I am quite enthused. Ever since the birth of Alphros, Elphir and I have had little time to spend with each other to just relax and enjoy each other's company."  
  
"Well, I am happy for you then, sister."  
  
Idhren smiled in response, and began to continue making her way to her quarters, when she stopped and quickly turned to Lothiriel. "Oh, I almost forgot. Alphros is in the nursery, and for the day you need only to remember to give him snacks in between meals, for he grows grumpy if you do not."  
  
Lothiriel looked at her puzzled. "What I need to remember for the day? What would that bit of information have to do with me, Idhren?"  
  
Idhren in return gave Lothiriel a puzzled look as well. "Are you not to watch Alphros for the day?"  
  
Lothiriel's eyes widened. "Watch Alphros for the day!" she replied, shocked.  
  
"Yes, your Father only told me moments ago that you volunteered. In truth, it was he who persuaded Elphir and I to take the day off."  
  
"What of Alphros's nurse, Idhren? Will she not be here to watch over him?" Lothiriel asked, hoping she would be relieved of the task.  
  
"She is only dressing Alphros and she will be on her way out. Your father insisted she take the day off as well; odd is it not?"  
  
"Quite," Lothiriel replied sarcastically. Idhren smiled, realizing that her sister really had no desire to care for her nephew for the day.  
  
"Have a good day then, sister. Thank you for your troubles," Idhren said gently, and took her leave of Lothiriel.  
  
"No trouble at all," Lothiriel mumbled, sighing, as she made her way to Alphros' nursery.

* * *

**_Moments Later..._**

As Lothiriel entered the nursery, she saw her nephew sitting at a small table fiddling with a few wooden block toys, his nurse being the first to notice Lothiriel' presence. The nurse then whispered in Alphros's ear, obviously telling him that his aunt had arrived, for Alphros turned and smiled brightly, running to Lothiriel and hugging her legs. Lothiriel smiled and hugged him back, nodding to the nurse that she may take her leave. The nurse nodded and left the two alone.  
  
"Well Alphros, I suppose today will be your day," Lothiriel said gently, kneeling down to look into her little nephew's deep brown eyes, just like his father's. "What do you wish to do today?" she asked, knowing very well that the child had yet to speak words. It had been a secret desire for Lothiriel to have her be the first that Alphros speaks to, as it was a desire for each of his uncles, his parents and his grandfather. It was like a contest amongst their family, all hope riding on a single word for Alphros to speak. Naturally, however, Alphros kept quiet, and Lothiriel continued. "Hmm, what to do. Well, I suppose we must have breakfast first, but what after? Oh, I know, how about we spend the day at the grotto? Yes, we can spend the day swimming in the small pool, and I will ask Cook to pack us a hearty lunch, dinner as well perhaps, just in case, and of course a good portion of snacks. I imagine the water to be warm; it seems to always be warm in temperature."  
  
Alphros nodded happily, smiling to his aunt as he twisted his body from side to side. Lothiriel laughed in amusement, admitting that her nephew was too cute to grumble over. She then began to gather extra clothes for the boy, and placed them in a small sack that lay on his dresser. She decided she would ask Daerien at breakfast to gather extra clothes for herself, and taking her nephew's little hand within her own, they exited the room and made their way to breakfast.

* * *

**_Later that Day..._**

Eomer nearly nodded off to sleep, as he sat in the chair he had been sitting in for most of the day, listening to Imrahil speak with his counselors. He determined that Imrahil was keeping him in council for longer than necessary, keeping in mind the rule that had been established earlier that day. Faramir was allowed to leave some three or four hours earlier, saying that he wished to spend some time with Eowyn. Elphir had not been in council all day, and Amrothos and Erchirion took their leave only an hour or so ago, each having individual business they needed to attend to. Truly, Imrahil did not need Eomer's presence, for the discussions of Rohan subsided after Faramir left. It seems all Eomer heard now was reports of ship inventory and food exports and imports of Dol Amroth.  
  
'_And this must be my punishment..._' he thought to himself, not wanting to take leave of Imrahil for fear of disrespect or suspicion. He looked towards the window in Imrahil's study, and watched as the sun began to set, remembering that he had been with Lothiriel when the sun began to rise, and wondered where she was and how she fared for the day.  
  
Imrahil noticed that the King of Rohan was growing weary, and his heart sympathized with Eomer. "Eomer," he called from behind his desk. Eomer quickly turned to Imrahil, sitting up attentively.  
  
"My Lord?"  
  
"You may take your leave for the day," Imrahil said compassionately.  
  
Eomer smiled and nodded, "Many thanks, my Lord," he said simply, and exited the room.  
  
Eomer did not think twice as to where he would go. He immediately made his way to Lothiriel's room. Once at her door, he knocked softly, knowing that he would be breaking Imrahil's rule, his conscious pushing for him to do the right thing, but he only wanted to see Lothiriel, even if for just a moment. The entire day he sat in council only thinking of her. Even when the men asked of how his own country fared, he stumbled with his words, thoughts of Lothiriel crossing his mind with every word he wished to speak. '_I only want to see her, if only for a moment even. I will not say a word..._' he thought to himself in attempts to justify his defiance. "Lothiriel?" he called softly, as there was no answer to his frequent knocks.  
  
He decided to just open the door and enter, having already broken enough rules, he did not think one more would hurt. As he slowly entered, and called her name, he realized that she was not there, that she had not returned from wherever she went. Eomer sighed heavily, feeling like he had not seen or spoken with her for years on end, and yearned to reach her somehow. However, he could not wait in her room for her to return, as he needed to wash up for dinner, which was in a half hour or so. Somehow, he knew that since Lothiriel was not back in her room a half hour or so before dinner, she would not be present at dinner at all, and it would be quite suspicious if both he and Lothiriel were absent from the dinner table, if he decided to wait for her. So, he walked around the room, looking for something he could do to let Lothiriel know that he had searched for her and had not forgotten about her.

* * *

**_An Hour or Two Later..._**  
  
Lothiriel arrived at her room, exhausted. Despite her fatigue, she thoroughly enjoyed the day she shared with her nephew, teaching him to swim and laughing merrily as often as possible during the day, as it proved to keep her distracted from missing Eomer. After swimming at the grotto, Alphros wished to look at the stars, the various snacks she fed him earlier being the source of his energy, thus being her reasoning for skipping dinner.  
  
She had just put Alphros to bed, and stopped by her Father's study to check in with him, and found him asleep in his chair, as was often the case. Upon entering her room and closing her door, she spread out her arms and fell backwards onto her bed, letting out a deep and heavy sigh. As her arms were extended across her bed, however, she felt a piece of paper that lay atop her pillows. Puzzled, she quickly got up and picked up the folded paper that had "Lothiriel" written across the outer side.  
  
'_Where did this come from?_' she thought to herself, looking around her room to make sure no one was there. She unfolded the note, and as she read it she smiled widely, a huff of laughter escaping her lips.  
  
"_**My thoughts were only of you this day**_..." it said simply, as Lothiriel held the note over her heart.

* * *

hope you liked, a bit of a fluffed chapter, hehe. thanks again so much for the reviews!! you guys rock, and don't forget to keep reviewing!! hehe =] 


	11. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks for the reviews!!!! Oh, and I didn't know Idhren was the translation for Travis, but I do know the meaning, hehe =]

* * *

Chapter 10: Getting to Know You  
  
**_A Few Days Later..._**  
  
Lothiriel sat in the palace garden, watching as the sun began to slowly set beyond the horizon. She recalled having had a late night conversation with her cousin, Faramir, the other night; mostly about their mothers and the humorous childhood experiences they shared together. The recollecting was soothing for her, and she would truly miss her cousin's, as well as Eowyn's, company in Dol Amroth. The couple had left in the morning, and as Idhren surely felt the same way, the palace seemed a bit empty without Eowyn's warm smile, or Faramir's comforting laughter.  
  
She smiled to herself, reminiscing over the events of the past week, and it tickled her heart as she giggled lightly. The wind blew gently, brushing her pink cheeks and softly swaying her hair. Lothiriel closed her eyes, relaxing her shoulders and lifting her head up slightly, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze. Just then she felt two arms come from behind slowly wrap around her waist, and a light kiss placed upon her cheek. Lothiriel turned, smiling as she saw Eomer smile back.  
  
"You left in a bit of a rush after dinner," he said to her, as he made his way to sit beside her on the bench.  
  
"I wanted to see the sunset. It is quite breathtaking, is it not?" she replied, keeping her gaze on the sun that was now almost completely out of sight.  
  
"Indeed," he replied, noticing that Lothiriel had shivered slightly, the gentle breeze becoming much more cooler. Eomer extended his arm and pulled her to him, holding the end of his cloak as he did so to wrap her. Lothiriel complied and rested her head upon his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist as she did so, hugging him lightly.  
  
After a moment of silence and a release of sighs from each of them, Eomer looked to Lothiriel and spoke. "What were you thinking of, as the sun set?"  
  
"I was remembering my cousin Eowyn. We will truly miss them here in Dol Amroth, I was quite saddened to see them go."  
  
"As was I, but I am afraid that I have began to over welcome my stay here, and I, too, must leave. I plan to ride out with my company as soon as tomorrow afternoon."  
  
"But you will return to Dol Amroth in a week or so, right?" Lothiriel asked looking up to Eomer with anxious eyes. It warmed Eomer's heart to see her so worried over the matter; it showed that she truly enjoyed his presence.  
  
"Of course," he replied, placing a light kiss upon her lips. Lothiriel's anxiety melted away, and she smiled, once again resting her head on his shoulders.  
  
Yet again there was a short pause amidst their conversation, and Eomer broke the silence once more. "What else did you think of, Lothiriel?" It had been a few days since their official courtship began, and Lothiriel insisted that he address her personally, and Eomer only agreed if Lothiriel would do the same.  
  
"What ever gave you the idea that I thought of more?" she asked softly, not looking to him, but instead keeping her head rested and placing her hand upon his chest. Lothiriel could hear him breathe, the sound rhythmic and relaxing.  
  
"I do not know exactly. Only a guess I suppose."  
  
"I thought of a conversation I had with Faramir the other night, about our mothers, my mother. I miss her..." she trailed off, hugging him gently as she spoke.  
  
"Aye, I know the feeling," Eomer replied compassionately.  
  
"You do?" she asked rather surprised.  
  
"Yes, I too lost my mother at a young age."  
  
Lothiriel sat up and looked to him with troubled eyes. "I am sorry Eomer. If I sparked any painful memory I surely did not mean..." But Eomer only lulled her distress, and placed a light kiss on her lips to hinder her apologies, which were unneeded. Lothiriel only gave him a confused look.  
  
"There is no need to apologize, really. I only wanted to tell you that I empathize with your loss. It is quite the burden to bear upon your heart," he responded after they pulled apart.  
  
"Truly" she agreed solemnly, nodding. "If I may, how did she pass?" Lothiriel approached the question rather cautiously, and she released her words as gently and as respectful as she could.  
  
Eomer smiled to her to calm her nerves, touched that she cared so greatly. "Illness, but I believe it was a mixture of illness and grief. She passed away shortly after my father. I am surprised you did not know that Eowyn and I were orphaned," he replied calmly, having accepted the past, though the memory of his parents still grieved his heart, as it should of.  
  
"I, I admit I did not think to ask. I suppose it was of minor detail." Lothiriel paused for a moment, reviewing her words, and realizing the offense they made. "Oh no. I am sorry Eomer; I did not mean it is of no importance, I just meant that it is a rather personal detail and..."  
  
Eomer only chuckled and calmed her dismay once again. "It is quite alright, Lothiriel, I know you meant no insult. Now, if I may, how did your mother pass?" he asked gently, equally not wanting to be disrespectful in any way.  
  
Lothiriel paused for a moment, her mother's death being one of the hardest experiences of her life. So remembering the ordeal was rather difficult for Lothiriel. After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. "Illness as well. My father awoke one morning to find her hovered above the washbowl, her nose bleeding profusely. From then on she was ill beyond healing, as her nose would bleed more often than naught, and small cuts would bleed for what seemed like forever. I remember laying at her beside; she caressed my cheek, called me Beautiful, and told me that she would think her life incomplete had it not been for my Father, my Brothers and I. She wished for me the best life, 'a life worth living' were her exact words. The next morning she died. I was but ten and three years old..." Lothiriel remained silent after that, Eomer noticing a single tear run down her cheek, as she quickly wiped the tear away.  
  
Eomer's heart sank, and he pulled Lothiriel to him to embrace her, gently caressing her hair as he held her. Eomer did not hear her weep, but he knew Lothiriel was crying, for he felt the sensation of warm tears wetting his tunic. Suddenly, Eomer could feel tears begin to fall upon his cheeks as well. He was surprised, in truth not knowing whether he cried in compassion or cried because he remembered his own mother, and father as well, and the pain he felt when knowing their deaths. He decided it was for both reasons, gently rocking Lothiriel as he held her in his arms, attempting to soothe her distress.  
  
Lothiriel felt safe in his arms. She did not recount the story of her mother's death to just anyone, nor did she do it often. Somehow, however, she felt secure in telling Eomer, as if it was a commonality they shared, though the worst possible kind, but a commonality nonetheless. '_We could comfort each other_' she thought to herself, as she buried her face in his shoulder, wanting him to never let go.

* * *

_**Elsewhere...  
**_  
The moon had already risen, and moonlight shined light upon the gardens of the palace of Dol Amroth, making a beautiful scene. Imrahil stood in the garden, watching from a distance as Eomer held his daughter in his arms, gently rocking her. He wondered what they had spoken of, though what it was exactly was of no great importance to the Prince at the present moment. In truth, Imrahil was happy to see that Eomer's courtship was not based on physical attraction alone, for the Prince had encountered many suitors of that nature. No, Imrahil could tell Eomer would be different, and he did not admit that to himself simply based on the fact that Eomer was a dear friend. It made much sense really, if Imrahil put true thought into it. They had both lost their mothers, both were rather proud and a bit hard headed at times, both were quite passionate in their own respects, and they were both rather handsome people, their contrast in features complimenting each other.  
  
Imrahil hated to confess it, but Eomer was rather perfect for Lothiriel, and if it came to it, Imrahil would more than welcome a marriage proposal from Eomer for Lothiriel's hand. However, there was still a nagging in the back of his mind. Lothiriel was quite young, and often times a young heart is quick to be mistaken. Not only that, but Lothiriel still had a bit of maturing to do, if she must rule a country as Queen. But Imrahil pushed that idea aside, feeling it was looking too far ahead into the future. However, the fact that Lothiriel was young was Imrahil's main concern. '_What if she mistakes this to be love, like she had before?_' he thought to himself, but soon rejected the idea as well, remembering that Lothiriel had yet to say whether or not she felt it was love. Imrahil sighed, knowing that he could only wait and see what his daughter's heart had in store.

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hehe, hope you liked. I'm rather pleased with this chapter, and I think I feel myself getting back into track. please keep reviewing!!! they rock and they truly keep me going.=] 


	12. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks for all the reviews!! I'm glad you enjoyed! Well, these past chapters have been fluff filled, so I hope you're enjoying it, hehe. =]

* * *

Chapter 11: Fights and Famous Kisses  
  
**_Two Months Later...  
_**  
Lothiriel sat impatiently as Daerien stood behind the chair the Princess sat in, brushing her hair and straightening the small tangles that scattered. It had been two months of courtship for Eomer and Lothiriel, two blissful months in Lothiriel's eyes. Every other week he would come to Dol Amroth to spend time with the Princess, and whenever Eomer was coming the whole city knew it. Lothiriel was quite cheerful on those days, and she would always look out towards the entrance of the city, waiting for Eomer's arrival. She was also quite anxious on those days, never having patience for anything, as sitting in the chair waiting for Daerien to finish with her hair proved.  
  
"Stop fidgeting Lothiriel! It will get done no sooner!" Daerien said, quite annoyed with Lothiriel's childish behavior.  
  
"Well is it not finished already? Does it look quite terrible that it is not even presentable? Eomer will be here any moment..." Lothiriel trailed off, sounding annoyed herself.  
  
"My Lord Eomer can wait, Lothiriel, your hair looks wretched this day. If only you had not tried to go out riding when you know you are terrible at it. How many times did you slip onto the dirt trying to get on that horse?" Daerien half giggled as she asked her question.  
  
Lothiriel scoffed, and replied, "It is of no importance. Can you just brush my hair in silence then?" And with that the two women fell silent, Daerien diligently working at the Princess's hair. Lothiriel had been trying to practice riding, to better herself at it to impress Eomer. She felt quite embarrassed that she favored the King of the Horse Lords and she could barely ride a horse herself.  
  
"There," Daerien said with a sigh, finally breaking the silence. "It is more than presentable now."  
  
"Thank you Daerien," Lothiriel replied, turning to hug her, then hurried to put on the deep blue dress accented with white trim that she chose to wear for Eomer's arrival. Having yet to slip her arms through the sleeves, as Daerien held up the dress that covered the rest of her body, a horn coming from the outside gate sounded, and immediately Lothiriel knew that Eomer and his company had arrived. She rushed putting on the dress, Daerien clasping the dress close as fast as her hands could. Putting on her slipper- shoes, she ran out of the room, not waiting a moment longer to greet her man.  
  
When Lothiriel arrived in the main hall, she felt her breath stop short as she saw Eomer speaking with her Father. It had only been a week and some days since she last saw him, but the time felt endless to her. Lothiriel was quite fond of Eomer, and as every week passed the fondness grew, until her heart was in a place where she questioned whether or not it to be love.  
  
Eomer noticed Lothiriel from behind Imrahil's shoulder, her dark blue dress making her skin look like porcelain. He felt breathless at the moment, Imrahil noticing that the young King no longer paid attention to his words, and turned to see Lothiriel approaching. Lothiriel ran to Eomer, the King scooping her in his arms and embracing her warmly, lifting her off the ground a bit and spinning once, joyously.  
  
"I missed you," she breathed softly, her face buried in his golden hair.  
  
"I missed you as well," he replied, letting her down gently, neither of them breaking their embrace as they held each other close.  
  
"It has been too long."  
  
"Too long?" Eomer chuckled lightly. "It has only been a week!"  
  
"Yes and this week has been the longest!"  
  
"You say that every time I arrive!" Both laughed lightly as Eomer held her in his arms, resting his forehead upon hers. Imrahil smiled, and addressed Eomer.  
  
"Eomer, you did tell your men that there is food in the dining hall, did you not?" This has become a ritual in the past two months, for Imrahil knew the riders have grown weary and hungry, and would not hear of them finding food elsewhere.  
  
"Aye, after they take the horses to the stables, they will come to eat, but I fear they will not stay for long after their stomachs are full."  
  
"So, they have found better company in the city," Lothiriel stated amused. With each visit, the company Eomer brought with him grew slightly. From as little as five to six men, to a riding company of fifteen men, all eligible bachelors of Rohan, who wished to find a woman of favor in the seaside city, having no luck in Riddermark.  
  
"Well, dinner is in a few hours, as you may already know Eomer, so I suspect that you would like to rest until then," Imrahil said, as he motioned for a servant to lead him to his room. Truthfully the formalities were not needed, as Eomer knew exactly which room the servant would lead him to, having stayed in the room so many times that he could lead himself to it, but Imrahil felt it necessary. Eomer was still a King after all.  
  
"I will go with him," Lothiriel announced, Imrahil raising an eyebrow at her, but she only smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek. "Do not worry Father, I only seek his company for conversation," she said, taking Eomer's arm and walking with him towards the room.

* * *

**_Moments Later..._**

Once the servant had left the room Lothiriel quickly pulled Eomer to her, pressing her lips against his own, wrapping her arms around his neck and melting in the moment. She would not let him go, only parting for a few moments to catch her breathe, exploring his lips with her own as her passion for him grew stronger. Amidst their passion, it was Eomer who parted from her, realizing that they were sitting on the bed and in a rather compromising position. Both kept their eyes closed, lips numb from such a fervent kiss, Lothiriel leaning her forehead to his.  
  
"Maybe it _has _been too long," Eomer breathed softly, causing Lothiriel to giggle and Eomer to smile widely at the sound of it.  
  
"But 'tis not important anymore. What matters is that you are here now, and how I have missed you so. Oh, tomorrow will be a grand day, I have planned it all out for us," Lothiriel said, parting from Eomer and smiling excitedly. Eomer looked to her and watched her eyes gleam, extending his hand to caress her cheek, Lothiriel's face fitting within his palm.  
  
"I am afraid I cannot tomorrow, Lothiriel," he replied meekly, not wanting to insensitively crush her spirits.  
  
"Have you already grown weary of me, King?" she asked jokingly, as Eomer chuckled lightly in reply.  
  
"Quite the contrary, I fear I cannot get enough of you. But I am afraid duty calls me. I received a letter before leaving Edoras, from your Father, telling me of a threat that he fears could grow far worse at the outside borders of Belfalas. Maverick Corsairs from what he tells me. He said that a company was sent out, but tragedy struck."  
  
"We lost one man, he died only days after," Lothiriel replied, turning away from Eomer. "Do not tell me you are serious in joining my brothers tomorrow?"  
  
Eomer gave her a puzzled look. "Of course I am serious. Rohan pledged allegiance to Gondor, if ever Gondor must ride out then the Rohirrim will follow, and so I follow now."  
  
"Do not go," Lothiriel said simply, and rather forcefully, standing up as she did so looking down at Eomer as he sat on the bed, eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"What is the matter with you? You know as well as I that your Father needs help, and it is not as if you are unused to troubled times," he replied, standing to address her.  
  
"True, I am not unused to it, but I did not think that I would have to get used to it once again, and so quickly. Did you not hear me the first time? We lost one man already, and what if tomorrow we lose another, and that man is you? What then will I do?" Lothiriel was now raising her voice, more frustrated than angry. All she could think of was Eomer being carried back into Dol Amroth, injured or worse, and her heart grew cold at the thought.  
  
"Then tell me, Princess, what would you have me do? I will not slight your Father, nor would I abandon your brothers. I will ride out with my company and that is final," Eomer replied, his voice commanding and raised just as Lothiriel's was. Lothiriel felt her heart sink, and worried madly.  
  
"Do what you will then, for I have no power over you, but do not expect me to see you off!" With that Lothiriel ran out of the room, leaving Eomer speechless.

* * *

**_An hour or so Later..._**

Lothiriel sat in front of her window, looking out into the sea, the moon shining grandly. She had skipped dinner that night, asking Daerien to tell her Father that she was unwell. In truth, she did not want to see Eomer. He had not angered her, nor had he lost favor with her, but she felt so helpless. She did not know why, but having to watch Eomer ride away would be quite the challenge for her, especially if he was riding out to his possible demise. Resting her head in her hand, she let out a heavy sigh, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Lothiriel sat up and turned to look towards the door.  
  
"Come in," she called. The door opened to reveal Idhren, who smiled warmly and closed the door behind her.  
  
"I told Daerien to bring you some stew in a few minutes, I know you must be hungry," Idhren said kindly, sitting upon the bed.  
  
"Only a little," Lothiriel replied, turning her gaze back to the sea. "How did he fare, Idhren?"  
  
"How did who fare, sister?"  
  
"Eomer, at dinner. Had he anything to say when Daerien announced that I would not be coming down?"  
  
"No, he truly had not anything to say, for he was not there. The servant announced him unwell also, much to your Father's suspicion. What happened then, Lothiriel?"  
  
Lothiriel paused for a moment, then stood to make her way to Idhren, and sat next to her, resting her head upon her sister's shoulder, Idhren embracing her lightly. "He rides out tomorrow with my Brothers. I do not wish him to go, but he insists."  
  
"Why then do you not wish him to go, Lothiriel?"  
  
"I worry for him. I do not want to lose him."  
  
Idhren could tell that Lothiriel's fondness for Eomer was gradually growing into something more, but she did not address this. Idhren wanted Lothiriel to come to terms of love on her own, and she wanted her sister to decide for herself if love was the case. "Well then, it is obvious that he will not change his mind. In times like these, Lothiriel, you can only support the one you care for. It is selfish to only think in your own terms. Would it not be better if he knew he had your support to make him stronger?"  
  
Lothiriel pondered this carefully, not responding to Idhren. She knew that she had acted unfairly, though why she did she was not so sure, but when it came down to it, she wanted Eomer to know she cared greatly for him, and that was all that mattered to her for the moment.

* * *

**_The next Morning..._**

Eomer met his men in the stables, having gotten up when Amrothos had, and walking with him to the stables. Erchirion was already there, preparing his horse like most of the men, telling servants to fetch the food he had asked for from Cook and to distribute it amongst the men. As he and Amrothos made their way to their horses, Eomer noticed Idhren's presence. She was embracing Elphir, caressing his cheek and kissing him lightly, clearly saying good- bye and wishing him a safe journey. Eomer let out a heavy sigh as he eyed the couple.  
  
"Do not fret, Eomer King, my sister will come around." Eomer turned to see Amrothos smile lightly to him, and giving him a slight nod. Eomer only smiled in return, replying softly.  
  
"I am not so sure."  
  
After preparing Firefoot for the journey, packing his bread and flask provided for each man, and suiting up for battle, he looked around the stables once more in hopes of seeing Lothiriel. But all he saw was his men mounting their horses, as well as the Princes and their men mounting their horses. Eomer sighed, and mounted Firefoot, riding to the head of the company along with the three Brothers, as they made their way out of the stables and headed towards the main gate of the city.  
  
Dawn had yet to approach, and much of the city was still asleep, save for a few lights that lit the houses of men who always had early days. After only trotting a few feet, Eomer heard one of his men call to him.  
  
"My Lords," he called, and all four men turned to see the company's horses part slightly, and Lothiriel emerging from the mass.  
  
The four leaders were quite surprised, and Eomer quickly dismounted Firefoot to greet her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Eomer asked calmly, as the entire company set their gaze on the two.  
  
"I am sorry for the way I acted, I only care for you too much to want to see you get hurt, but I know now that in caring for you I must support you in whatever decision you make. I want to wish you a safe journey, a swift return home, and I wish to give you this," Lothiriel smiled, and slowly removed his helmet. She leaned in towards him, and thinking that Lothiriel would place a kiss on his lips, Eomer closed his eyes in anticipation. Instead, however, Lothiriel kissed him on the nose. "Good luck," she said to him, as Eomer opened his eyes with a disappointed, puzzled look. It was then that Eomer noticed the entire company chuckling lightly, his Rohirrim biting their cheeks to keep from laughing wildly. Eomer's cheeks turned warm and flushed red with embarrassment, Lothiriel only smiling widely.

* * *

hehe, a pretty long chapter, and sorry it took me longer to post this one, I wasn't feeling so well last night, so I didn't get the chance to write it until today. thanks again for the reviews!! and remember to keep reviewing!! =] 


	13. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks again for all the reviews, and the wishes to get better!! hehe, still feeling a bit out of it though, and so sorry for the delays. chapter 13 might be coming later than usually also, since I'm planning to get to bed earlier than usual tonight and Thursday is a busy day. going to be taking my senior pictures, hehe!! but I'll be sure to get up the chapter as soon as I can. anyway, hope you enjoy!! =]

* * *

Chapter 12: Coming to Terms  
  
'_What if..._' The 'What Ifs?' had shadowed Lothiriel's thoughts for the past two days. After saying good-bye to Eomer the day the company set out, she watched as they rode out of the city gates and into the distance. It was strange, for at that moment, Lothiriel had to hold back tears. She could feel her legs weaken and it took a good deal of strength for her to keep herself up.  
  
She sat on the sandy beach only feet away from the rolling sea, watching as the sun set over the horizon. Her Father had suggested a walk upon the beach to distract her thoughts, for Lothiriel had been lingering in the palace halls, jumping at every sound that came from the streets, in hopes that the company had returned. Over and over again in her mind she tried to comfort and settle her heart, remembering that Eomer was an excellent fighter and knowing that he was quite strong, but each time she tried to comfort herself another possible scenario entered her mind, each one ultimately leading to death.  
  
'_This is completely ridiculous_,' she thought to herself. '_Eomer will be alright, HE WILL BE ALRIGHT..._' Lothiriel suddenly felt a rush of emotion flow through her, and she jolted up and stared out at the golden rays that swathed the sea. "HE WILL BE ALRIGHT!!!!! He... Will... Be... ALRIGHT!!!!" she screamed madly out into the sea, placing all the fear and anxiety she had felt for the past two days into her screams. "...Will he be alright?" she finally breathed softly, breaking down into tears and falling to her knees. Lothiriel was motionless, weeping into her hands. '_What can this mean?_' she thought as she wept. '_Do I care for him more than I thought I ever could?_'  
  
Just then Lothiriel felt two gentle arms wrap around her shoulders, and she lifted her head from her hands and saw Idhren half smile to her.  
  
"Oh, Lothiriel, you will make yourself sick," Idhren said kindly, wiping Lothiriel's cheek to dry her tears. Lothiriel only looked up to Idhren, eyes red and watered, an expression of exhaustion on her face.  
  
"It is not a war that he goes off to but merely a threat, and still my heart aches as if I have lost him amidst the waves of the sea. How do you do it, Idhren, how do you keep so calm?"  
  
"Honestly, sister, I do not. The first time I had to see Elphir off into battle, and that was during the War of the Ring mind you, I was just as you are now. At the time I was with child, and my nerves were at end. I did not think much to hope. Do you not remember, then? I went quite mad."  
  
"Yes, I remember, but the midwives said it was the effects of bearing a child."  
  
Idhren laughed lightly. "I suppose it was that also. Do not worry yourself too much, Lothiriel. From what Elphir told me it is a band of no more than fifty or so."  
  
"Danger is danger," Lothiriel stated as matter of fact. "And if the band is so small, then I do not see why Eomer and his small company of Rohirrim needed to go. He could of very well stayed here with Father."  
  
"I suppose you are right sister, but perhaps his decision was because of his friendship with Dol Amroth, and that is an honorable thing."  
  
"Perhaps." The two fell silent, as day gradually became night, the sound of the waves soothing to the ear. The silence was broken, however, when Lothiriel heard a faint cry from behind them.  
  
"Do you hear that?" she asked, as the two looked towards the top of a path that led to the main roads.  
  
"It is Daerien," Idhren replied, both watching as the young maid waved her hands frantically and jumped up and down to get their attention. Both stood staring at her, and finally Lothiriel called out.  
  
"What news, Daerien?" she cried.  
  
"They have returned!!" Daerien called back, the sound barely distinguishable. Idhren and Lothiriel looked to one another, and immediately Lothiriel ran out towards Daerien, Idhren following close behind. When the two finally reached her, they were panting and huffing for air.  
  
"Where... Where Daerien?" Lothiriel finally let out.  
  
"In the healers' house, my Lady," Daerien replied meekly, pointing in the direction of where the house was, though both Idhren and Lothiriel knew its location.  
  
"All of them?" Idhren asked, giving a perplexed expression.  
  
"Yes my Lady. There are many injured, some gravely, some not, but all were commanded to pass through the House of Healing, no matter what the injury or how severe."  
  
"I wonder then what could have happened, had they been ambushed..." Idhren began, thinking aloud, but Lothiriel cut her off.  
  
"It is of no importance. Daerien, did you see the Lord Eomer? And of my Brothers, are all well?" Lothiriel asked impatiently. It seemed Daerien could not give the answer any faster than Lothiriel wanted. "Daerien!"  
  
"Lothiriel..." Idhren breathed, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder to calm her down, her eyebrows furrowed in worry and surprise.  
  
Lothiriel only pushed her hand away, and turned her gaze back to Daerien. "Tell me what has happened!" she cried, Daerien only cowering a bit for the Princess had never yelled at her in such a manner before.  
  
"I am sorry, my Lady, I did not see Lord Eomer. I am afraid I do not know how he fares, and of your Brothers, Elphir is fine, Erchirion I could not find, and Amrothos is being healed for a cut on his arm, but he is well enough to be normal, save for the cut."  
  
"Oh thank Eru," Idhren breathed behind Lothiriel. Lothiriel, however, did not respond, and ran ahead of the two, making her way to the House of Healing in Dol Amroth, Idhren and Daerien following in silence.

* * *

_**Moments Later...**_  
  
Lothiriel entered the House of Healing to, what seemed like, chaos, Idhren and Daerien entering moments after. All three women were speechless, as Healers were crossing paths from every direction, some carrying bowls of water, some fetching medicines, some with cloths for bandages, and amidst all the healers were bloodied soldiers. Those whose wounds were less serious, or simple and quick to treat, were held in the large room that usually served as an area of waiting for those who wished to check into the home.  
  
Daerien offered help to the Healers, as Lothiriel searched frantically for Eomer, hoping that he would be amongst these soldiers whose wounds were not life threatening, if he had been injured at all. The site became nauseating for Lothiriel, the effects of seeing wound after wound beginning to take its toll. She saw men with cuts across their chests; men who had arms, hands or legs broken and seeming deformed; men with bones out of sockets, and the sound of healers popping the bones into place was horrifying; but Lothiriel pressed on.  
  
She was determined to find Eomer, and she would let nothing stop her; she could hear Idhren calling to her from behind, but she ignored it. As she walked deeper into the halls, she saw a man whose eye had been cut, blood crusting around his socket, and Lothiriel thought she would vomit at the site. The man was being carried to a room with the help of a healer, and as she followed their steps with her vision, it was then that she saw Eomer being carried by two or three of his men, coming from the opposite direction. It felt as if her heart stopped for a moment, but when she was finally able to find her feet and start to follow them, she was suddenly held back and restrained with force, her eyes never leaving the site of Eomer, as she watched his men bring him into a room.  
  
"Eomer!" she cried, struggling to break free. "Let me go!!!" she screamed, pounding her fists into the chest of the man who held her back.  
  
"Lothiriel!" It was only then, when the man called her name and grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her a bit to get her attention, did she realize it was Erchirion. "This is no place for you, go back to the palace," he commanded, Idhren coming to the two of them moments later.  
  
"Lothiriel, come, I will get you drink, and we shall wait together," Idhren offered compassionately, her voice calm and soothing, but Lothiriel would not hear it.  
  
"Let me go Erchirion!" she cried again, pushing away his grasp on her shoulders, and attempting to make her way to the room, but Erchirion once again restrained her.  
  
"This is no place for you! You should not be exposed to death and gore in such a way, it is mentally unhealthy!" Erchirion cried, holding her back with much difficulty, as Lothiriel pounded and pushed in an attempt to free herself from his grasp. At this point, Elphir noticed the scene they were making, and made his way to his siblings.  
  
"Lothiriel! Do as you are told, you are making a scene and I will not have you disturb those who are in dire need of rest. This house is already plagued with chaos and mourn, will you not behave!" Elphir commanded in a tone soft enough that only those around him could hear.  
  
"Let me go, I beg you Erchirion!" Lothiriel cried, ignoring Elphir, frantically trying to break free as Erchirion held her at her waist.  
  
"For Eru sake, Lothiriel, will you not calm down and restrain your composure! It is a shame to see you, a Princess, in such a manner! Like a child!" Elphir told her forcefully, his angered eyes cutting through her own. Idhren's gentle words could be heard in the background, as she tried to calm Lothiriel. Her pleads were useless however, and she could only watch helplessly as the siblings argued.  
  
Lothiriel paused for a moment, her breathing heavy as she stared back at her eldest brother. His words were more heartless than he could of imagined, for they sparked a dark memory in Lothiriel's mind. "You would watch your sister's heart break before you, if only to be well-mannered. For that is your way, is it not Elphir? Yes, our Mother's death proved it so. You held me back from running to embrace her lifeless body once last time, telling me such childishness was unsuitable in front of our people. Is that not what you told me!?" she screamed within the confines of Erchirion's arms.  
  
Elphir's hard gaze faded, as he stood speechless looking at his sister. She was still attempting to break free, and Erchirion finally let go. Lothiriel stormed off, and made her way to the room that held the King of the Rohirrim. Erchirion watched as Lothiriel stopped at the open door, then slowly made her way in; he then turned his stare back at Elphir, who had also watched. The two Brothers looked to each other, both simultaneously realizing that their Sister's heart could not be restrained. Lothiriel would want nothing to keep her from Eomer.

* * *

hope you liked. a bit of angst here, but I hope that's okay. anyway, sorry this chapter came later than usual. I was still a bit under the weather. but I hope you enjoyed, and keep reviewing!!! =] 


	14. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: so sorry it took me the longest time for this chapter, but I am so happy for all the reviews I got!! the pictures I took turned out great, and I'm glad I got a bit of rest, but now I'm fully recovered and ready to take up my usual pace. anyways, thanks again for the reviews!! hope you enjoy!! =]

* * *

Chapter 13: Three Little Words  
  
Eomer sat up in his small cot, light beginning to creep through the shutters that covered his window. His hand gently caressed Lothiriel's hair as she slept, her head rested on her arms, slumped over the side of his makeshift bed. '_She_ _must have waited all night_' Eomer thought to himself, smiling at the site of her. His healer had told him that she remained in the room after all had left, quiet as ever and exhausted. Eomer worried a bit, for the healer also told him that the Princess refused any nourishment, and that it had been a long night.  
  
Lothiriel shivered slightly, the cool morning air sneaking into the room. Eomer noticed, and grabbed an extra blanket that lay at his feet. Unfolding it, he draped it over her shoulders, wrapping it snuggly around her. Lothiriel moaned softly, shifting her shoulders and shaking her head lightly. She sat up and slowly opened her eyes to see Eomer smiling back at her. Lothiriel smiled groggily, but happy nonetheless.  
  
"Eomer..." she breathed, leaning to him, Eomer meeting her half way, as she placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. Lothiriel held the blanket upon her shoulders as she parted from Eomer, catching his gaze. They smiled to one another, Lothiriel reaching for Eomer's hand, holding it tightly within her own. "You gave me quite the scare," she said softly, looking down as she did to avoid his stare, not wanting him to see the worry in her eyes.  
  
Eomer chuckled lightly. "I truly apologize. 'Tis only a cut on the forehead..."  
  
"And a gash on the shoulder," she finished for him, her brown eyes widening in distress. "I was afraid you would fail to wake at all," she whispered, leaning to him once more to taste his lips upon hers. As they parted, Eomer pulled her to him, and she had no choice but to get up from where she sat and reposition herself upon the cot next to Eomer. Lothiriel felt at ease in his grasp, draping her arm over his bare chest, the bandage on his right shoulder tainted with blood. He shifted a bit to be comfortable, his left arm around Lothiriel's shoulder, holding her close to him.  
  
"Yes, I agree that would have been quite the tragedy," Eomer said in mock arrogance. Lothiriel only giggled, resting her cheek against his flesh, holding him tight.  
  
"I am not sure what I would have done, had I lost you. The thought made my blood run cold, and still to this time, I do not know why. Is it safe to say that I am enamored by you, Eomer?" she asked playfully. Eomer could hear her smile as she spoke the words.  
  
"What would your heart say on the matter?"  
  
"I am not quite sure. I do not know what to think."  
  
"But I did not ask what you think, I asked what you felt. There is a great difference."  
  
"Yes, I suppose."  
  
"So, Lothiriel, what then do you feel?"  
  
Lothiriel paused for a moment. In her heart, she could feel her connection to Eomer. Something about him confused her pleasantly, and though they butted heads at times, he was gentle towards her. The soft touch of his hand on her cheek, the way he kissed her so fervently yet his lips were tender against her own, the way he spoke with command yet his whispers sent chills through her body. It did not hurt either that Eomer was ruggedly handsome; his piercing eyes intriguing with depth. But truly, Lothiriel was not sure if it was love. What if she mistook it for some childish infatuation?  
  
"I...I feel quite, confused by you, honestly," she finally replied, stammering a bit.  
  
"Confused?"  
  
"Yes, confused. I care for you greatly, of that I am certain, and yet, I am not sure to say if I love you or not. I do not know really, and so I am confused. But I know that when you hold me in your arms, when I am in your company, when I feel your presence, it seems as if nothing else matters to me."  
  
"Very confusing indeed. Well, Lothiriel, I would not rush you if only to hear you say three little words. I would rather wait until you know for certain, but of my own heart I cannot deny that I am beginning to fall... I **_think_** am beginning to fall in love with you, Lothiriel."  
  
Lothiriel was quiet for moments, eyebrows furrowed in surprise, keeping her hold around the Rohirrim King. She held him tightly, not sure of what to say. What could she say really? Here he was, falling in love with her, and all she had in return was confusion.  
  
"How do you know, Eomer? How can you be so sure?" she asked, tears beginning to well up. There was something she withheld from Eomer, as she was becoming quite sensitive to the subject of love, but for what reason? Eomer pushed aside the thoughts, and replied.  
  
"Truly, how can any person be sure of love? I do not know, but I do know that what I feel in my heart is real. The day you kissed my nose before we left the city, it was rather your display of strength that took me aback. I did not think you would see me off that day, thinking you would let your emotional pride keep you away. But you did come that day, and now here you are on this day. I cannot explain it, but having you with me, knowing you care, it brings a peace to my heart."  
  
Lothiriel sat up from where she lay, looking to Eomer. He gave her a puzzled look, wondering what it was he had said that seemed to upset her. "Is that love then? Bringing a calm to the heart? Now I am afraid, because here we are, in all our fondness of each other, and we are unsure whether or not we love each other!" Lothiriel buried her face in her hands, emotionally exhausted. In truth, it had been the events of the previous night that tired her out, the talk of love only increasing her fatigue.  
  
Eomer laughed softly, placing his arm around her shoulder and leaning her to him as he rested his head atop her own. "If it causes such distress, then why should we worry about it? Simply for technicalities and three little words? No, it is of no importance. What is important to me is being with you, speaking with you, holding you, embracing you, you and only you, Lothiriel. You do not need to tell me that you love me, for I can feel that you do," he breathed gently in her ear, causing her to lift her head from hands and smile at him.  
  
"I agree. We need not say we are in love, for fear of being mistaken, but in our hearts, we can already feel it, can we not? But no, I fear to say it, as if the moment I say it I would awake from a dream. To say I am in love would be complicating situations, making it more like a responsibility rather than a gift. I dare not say it then. But I will say this; you have my heart, Eomer," she breathed softly, laying her head on his chest and hugging him close. Eomer held her in return.  
  
"And you have mine," he replied softly, as they lay silently in each other's arms.

* * *

Imrahil watched wordlessly from the doorway of Eomer's room, the door slightly ajar. He had heard everything between the two, and sighed heavily. Just then he felt a gentle hand placed on his shoulder, and he turned to see his eldest son stand behind him, peering into the room as Imrahil did.  
  
"Quite the night she has had, think you not? She must be exhausted from emotion," Elphir whispered, eyeing the two.  
  
"Yes, quite. But you know your sister; she is a very passionate person. Is it no wonder then that her love would be passionate as well?" Imrahil replied. Elphir looked to his father, who kept his gaze on his daughter.  
  
"You think it is love then, Father?"  
  
"I fear that I know it is love, on Eomer's part at least. I see the way he looks at her; I only know that look all too well. But Lothiriel, I am afraid I will never be able to fully trust what her heart tells her. She is young, impulsive, and like I said before, passionate. I must test her heart to see if it is truly love, before their relationship goes any further."  
  
"How do you propose to do that, Father?"  
  
"I would ask that they keep away from each other for at least six months time."  
  
Elphir laughed lightly, thinking his Father was joking, but when he saw the look on Imrahil's face, he knew it was no joke. "Are you serious, Father? Lothiriel would never agree to it, and I highly doubt Eomer would, lest you fall on your knees and beg the man," Elphir said absent mindedly, not thinking such an act would be plausible.  
  
"Lothiriel has no say in the matter, for she will not know. Eomer is a reasonable man, a good man. He would understand my concern for my only daughter, and if I request this of him, I know he will concede. It is rather brilliant actually, for it would test the strength of Eomer's heart as well. I take my leave then, Son. I am tired, and I wish to check in on Amrothos before I return home." Imrahil turned to leave, clasping his son's shoulder before he did so. Elphir kept his gaze on his sister, patting his father's hand as it lay on his shoulder.  
  
Imrahil noticed Elphir was distracted, and felt he should address what occupied his son's mind. "She will get over it soon enough, Elphir," Imrahil said gently. Elphir turned to his father and gave him a confused look.  
  
"Father?"  
  
"What she said to you yester eve, of your mother and your 'ways'. Lothiriel is young, the youngest of you four. Even I sometimes forget that she has lived without your mother the longest out of us all. She cannot let go of things so easily. But do not fear my son, she loves you just the same as Erchirion and Amrothos."  
  
"I do not mean to be such a thorn in her side. It is difficult, being the oldest. I feel as if I must help the three discern between right and wrong."  
  
"It is a noble task, but do not let it cloud your judgment. Your siblings are grown, Elphir. Trust them."  
  
With that Imrahil left Elphir with his thoughts. Elphir sighed deeply, taking one last glance at his sister, sound asleep in Eomer's arms, and turned to take his leave.

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eh, a bit analytical, but basically a gap filler. hope you enjoyed anyhow, and please keep reviewing. I've gotten the greatest reviews, and I'm always happy to receive more. thanks so much!!! =] 


	15. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks so much for the reviews!!! they are great!! =]

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Chapter 14: The Deal  
  
_**Two Days Later...**_  
  
Eomer held Lothiriel close to him. He could feel her shiver slightly as a gentle breeze swept through. She was asleep, making a subtle droning noise through her nose, causing Eomer to chuckle. '_How_ _could she look so peaceful with such an unpleasant noise coming from her nostrils,_' he thought to himself, looking down to her, her expression calm and beautiful, then looking out to the moon. It was her idea to come to the shores, sit atop a blanket, and watch the sun set and the moon rise. She told him the sight of the sun and moon interchanging places, and the sound of the waves rolling onto the shores was most relaxing, and she was right. Eomer felt at peace, his injury completely erased from his mind. In truth, the Warden intended for him to be released the next day, but Eomer assured the man that he was well enough to go about normally. Being able to be in Lothiriel's presence anywhere other than the House of Healing was what occupied his thoughts. After all, it was but an injury to the shoulder, one Eomer did not consider to be serious.  
  
'Holding Lothiriel will be of no harm to it anyway,' he thought aloud, a little louder than he might of expected, for Lothiriel stirred slightly in his arms. "I should get you back. It is getting quite late, and I do not think your Father would overlook this late night rendezvous..." he whispered, to Lothiriel really though he knew she would not respond. He sighed lightly, not wanting to wake Lothiriel from sleep. If he did not want to wake her, he had no choice but to carry her to the palace in his arms. He hoped it would not place a great strain on his shoulder, and when he lifted her it didn't, surprisingly.  
  
"I hope your Father does not get too upset," he said aloud, as he made his way to the Palace. "He has been keeping a rather watchful eye on us for the past couple of days. Lately, more than ever, it seems." Eomer continued, knowing Lothiriel could not hear him. "I wonder why..." he trailed off, as he entered the Palace.

* * *

_**Moments Later...**_  
  
Eomer quietly entered Lothiriel's room and laid her gently atop her bed. She did not wake. On the contrary, she slept peacefully the entire time Eomer carried her. He looked up to see Daerien asleep in a chair across from the bed, and smiled with relief. He made his way to the chair and tapped Daerien lightly.  
  
"Daerien..." he whispered softly. Daerien opened her eyes slowly, breathing in deeply as she stretched out her arms. Eomer took a step back to give her some space.  
  
"My Lord..." she began, standing to greet him. Eomer cut her off, however, and motioned to Lothiriel lying on the bed, and Daerien nodded in recognition. "I should wake her to wash up," Daerien told him, as she looked up to see him nod in agreement. "Thank you for returning her safe, my Lord. I will be sure to tend to her," Daerien smiled, and bowed her head to Eomer, Eomer doing the same. He quietly took his leave of the women, but not before kissing Lothiriel lightly on the cheek.  
  
"Goodnight," he whispered in her ear, and exited the room.  
  
As Eomer approached his own room and entered, he found Imrahil inside glaring out of the room's window. Eomer gasped lightly in surprise, a look of confusion sweeping across his face as he approached, for it seemed the Prince did not hear his arrival.  
  
"Lord Imrahil?" Eomer called to him questioningly, as the Prince turned to reveal his calm expression.  
  
"Eomer. I began to wonder if you would return at all. I apologize for just entering..." the Prince began, but Eomer interrupted.  
  
"Oh, no, no My Lord. It is truly all right, 'tis your home, I am but a guest."  
  
Imrahil nodded in acknowledgement. "Please, sit then. There is something I wish to discuss with you," he replied, motioning for Eomer to take a seat. Eomer complied, and sat on the edge of his bed, as Imrahil pulled out the chair from the desk and placed it across from Eomer, taking a seat. Imrahil sat quietly for a moment, folding his hands and placing them below his chin. Eomer felt a bit nervous, and would glance up at Imrahil then look back down at the floor, waiting for him to speak. The Prince sighed heavily, and finally spoke.  
  
"I suppose you already know what it is I wish to speak to you about,"  
  
"The trade routes between Rohan and the city of Dol Amroth, perhaps?" Eomer asked in jest. Imrahil only smiled, and Eomer could not tell if it was amusement or politeness, and so felt embarrassed by what he had said. "I am sorry, my Lord, I meant no harm."  
  
"No, no, I am a light hearted man, I take no offense to your jest. Well then, I suppose _now_ you know what I came to speak to you of. What of my daughter, Eomer? What are your intentions?"  
  
Eomer paused for a moment, eyebrows raised simultaneously in a bit of surprise; the surprise because he was not sure what to say. "Well, I. I, I do care for her, my Lord. I admit, she caught my eye the moment I met her, and she has come to catch my heart as well."  
  
"Do you love her then?"  
  
Imrahil's question was simple, and Eomer was not sure whether or not to say yes or explain to the Prince what he and Lothiriel had agreed on. He decided to just say what it was he felt. "I do."  
  
The Prince nodded to his reply, and stood from his chair. Eomer stayed seated, utterly confused. He was not sure if Imrahil was angry or what, as the man turned away from him. Eomer sat there meekly, waiting for Imrahil to say something, anything.  
  
"Do you intend to marry her, Eomer?" Imrahil asked calmly, leaning against a wall, his back facing Eomer as he looked out the window once more.  
  
"I do, but not in the nearest future, my Lord. I know Lothiriel is young, and times have changed and life does not feel as uncertain and dark as it had during the time of the Ring. I meant to wait a month or so before I proposed the idea to her."  
  
Imrahil turned suddenly to return his gaze to the King. "What of waiting for more than a month?"  
  
"More than a month, my Lord? How many more months do you suggest?" Eomer asked in a puzzled tone.  
  
Imrahil returned to his seat and let out a sigh. "Five, at the least."  
  
"Five months?!" Eomer asked, his voice rose slightly, in shock, as he stood from where he sat. Imrahil motioned for him to sit back down, and shushed him quiet.  
  
"That is right, five in the least. I ask that you wait for that length of time."  
  
"My Lord..." Eomer began, but Imrahil cut him short.  
  
"There is more to it, Eomer. I would ask that within that time frame, you keep away from Lothiriel entirely, as if to say you were taking a break from her."  
  
"WHAT?" Eomer felt speechless, save for his one word response.  
  
"I know it seems absurd, but there is reason behind it. Eomer, you are a dear friend to me, and I would be proud to have you marry my daughter, but Lothiriel is a rather, difficult woman to understand. I must test her, I must see if what she feels for you is the real thing, because like you said, she is young, and life is different now. I would want her to marry for love and never regret it. But before she can do that, we must see if it is truly love she feels for you."  
  
"So this is a test?"  
  
"Yes. More so for my daughter than for you, though, I think that in time, whatever the outcome may be of your relationship, you would find this test to have been quite helpful."  
  
Eomer sighed deeply, not wanting to offend his friend. Five months, however? It seemed like a great deal of time, and he was not sure if he wanted to wait so long to marry Lothiriel, let alone wait so long to see her and hold her once more. What if within that time Lothiriel became attached to another? He would regret letting her go. However, he supposed that that was the purpose of this test, to see if Lothiriel would love him after being away from him for so long, to see if he truly did have her heart. At this thought, Eomer's curiosity was aroused. He knew what he felt in his own heart, but was it safe to trust Lothiriel's?  
  
"All right, I will agree," Eomer, replied slowly. He loved Lothiriel; he felt no doubt. But how would Lothiriel know it to be love? Has she been so experienced in her young age? He needed to know, he needed to test, for her sake. Eomer would never want to have Lothiriel regret their marriage, if one was to occur at all.  
  
"Good, then it is done. The sooner you leave Dol Amroth, the sooner it can be begin."  
  
"How will I know, then, when to return? Would I return five months to the day of my departure?"  
  
"No, I will send word to you. Do not come until my letter arrives in Rohan."  
  
Eomer did not like that idea, but what choice did he have? Imrahil was Lothiriel's father; he would know her best, would he not? Eomer nodded in obedience, and replied, "Give me two days then, and my company and I shall return to Rohan."  
  
Imrahil clasped Eomer's shoulder, saying a soft "Thank You," to him, before standing to take his leave. Imrahil made his way to the door, but turned one last time to address Eomer, who still sat on the bed, head buried into his hands.  
  
"Eomer, one more request. Lothiriel must not know of this, she must not know that I asked this of you, in fact, she must not know I spoke to you at all. If she did, it would only upset things," Imrahil told him. Eomer nodded, and with that the Prince left, closing the door behind him.  
  
Eomer sat silently, wondering how he would explain this to Lothiriel without revealing the truth. He knew he could not just get up and leave and not come back for some time without some sort of explanation. Eomer suddenly felt awful at the thought of leaving Lothiriel, and began to wonder if what he was doing was the right thing to do.

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another gap filler. a bit of a boring chapter, to say the least. I hope you enjoyed anyhoo, and thanks again for the reviews!!! please keep reviewing!!! they keep me going, hehe =] 


	16. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks so much for the reviews!! I'm really glad you liked the last chapter. hope you enjoy this one, hehe =]

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Chapter 15: Goodbyes Are Never Easy  
  
Eomer was silent, as he walked hand in hand with Lothiriel to escort her to her room. The two had spent the entire day together, Lothiriel taking Eomer to see the boats along the shore, walking with him around the city and showing him to some of her favorite places. The young Rohirrim enjoyed it, though he might of enjoyed it a lot more had it not been for the Deal that he and Lothiriel's father had made that occupied his mind. He had no idea how he would tell Lothiriel, nor did he know what reasoning to give her. Eomer knew he had to tell her this night, however, for his men had already packed their things while he and the Princess were out all day, in preparation for their journey the next morning. He held off telling Lothiriel the truth, but he knew he could not hold out any longer.  
  
"Eomer?"  
  
Eomer recovered from his thoughts and turned to see Lothiriel look at him puzzled. They already arrived at her door, as Eomer had not noticed, and Lothiriel opened it to enter, but it seemed she paused before she did.  
  
"Is everything all right, Eomer? You seem so distracted," she asked innocently. Eomer looked to her, and shook his head lightly from side to side. Lothiriel's eyebrows only furrowed deeper, as he motioned for the two of them to enter her room so that they could talk privately. Once in the room, Eomer closed the door, and led her to sit atop her bed to listen to him as he stood to speak to her. "Eomer what is it? You are starting to scare me, what is going on?"  
  
Eomer slowly paced in front of her, in truth, afraid to tell her. But now was as good a time as any, and she would find out when morning came. "Lothiriel," he hesitated, and took a seat next to her on the bed, and took her hand within his. Her eyes widened in perplexity, and Eomer could feel his heart sink. She looked so beautiful, her hair let down idly, the dark color of it contrasting her lightface. He breathed in heavily, and continued, knowing he had to keep strong, for her sake at least. "Lothiriel, I am leaving tomorrow."  
  
"What? Leaving tomorrow? What ever for? It seems like you have only just arrived. We have no had time together at all. The first thing you did when you got her was ride off with my brothers' company. Eomer, what is the matter? Why the sudden departure?" She had rushed her words, and now she felt a bit out of breath. Lothiriel did not care, however, and was more concerned about Eomer. Was he ill? Was something wrong in Rohan? '_Had I done something wrong?_' she thought to herself, and returned her gaze to him, looking for an answer.  
  
"There are things I need to take care of in Rohan. It is as simple as that," he replied, rather coldly. Lothiriel only nodded meekly, but Eomer's hardened expression faded at the sight of her cooperation and understanding, and he sighed heavily. "I am sorry, Lothiriel. This is just as hard for me, if not harder."  
  
"'Tis all right," she replied unsteadily, obviously lying. "If you must go then you must, I suppose. When, then, will you return? Is it possible to have you return sooner than usual? Since our time this week has been cut short in so many ways," she suggested, her voice hopeful as she leaned upon his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
  
Eomer pulled her close, hugging her with his arm and kissing her atop her head. He shut his eyes in desperation at the thought of her suggestion, for he had yet to tell her everything. "I fear it is not possible," he said softly, resting his head on hers, taking her hand within his own. "Lothiriel there is more," he said softly.  
  
"Hmmm?" was all she replied, happily resting within his hold.  
  
"After my departure tomorrow, I will not return for some months time," he began, and Lothiriel immediately sat up and pulled away from him, eyes intense with confusion.  
  
"What? I do not understand... why? Why would you not return?"  
  
"It is difficult to explain, I, I simply cannot give you an explanation."  
  
"Cannot give me an explanation? Or you will not?"  
  
"It does not matter, I just ask that you trust me..."  
  
Lothiriel stood up from where she sat, pulling away her hands from his own. "Trust you? You ask that I trust you when you would not trust me to handle the truth? What is it that you hide? What is going on?" Her voice rose, as Eomer stood as well to address her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, attempting to calm her down, but she would not hear it.  
  
"Lothiriel, please, do not make this any more difficult than it already is..."  
  
"Make it difficult? Make it difficult for whom, Eomer, for you? Perish the thought," she said coldly, sarcasm dripping from every word. Eomer only winced at her retort, as Lothiriel turned away from him, crossing her arms in doing so.  
  
Eomer sighed heavily. He could do nothing, and Lothiriel began to cry, making matters worse. Though he could not see her face with her back towards him, he could hear her sniffle, and watched as she raised her hands to wipe her cheeks. Eomer held his head low, ashamed of what he was doing and wishing that he could hold her to try and make things better, though he knew she would not let him touch her at the moment.  
  
"...You would leave me like he did..." Eomer looked up suddenly, as he heard Lothiriel mumble the words, wondering what she was talking about, and more importantly: Who was '_he_'?  
  
"What did you say?" Eomer asked, walking closer towards her, her back still facing him.  
  
Lothiriel turned, arms crossed and cheeks dampened with tears. "Nothing," she said sternly. "Go then, if you must. Do what you will, I care not..." she finished coldly, and ran out of the room before Eomer could say another word, closing the door behind her.  
  
Eomer was left with his thoughts for only a few moments when the door opened once more and revealed Lothiriel. He lifted his head in hopes that she would say something comforting.  
  
"I... this is my room," she stumbled, in a bit of embarrassment, the intensity of the moment causing her to forget. Her expression amused Eomer, though he dared not show it. "You go," she commanded, and Eomer nodded slightly in obedience. "I am so sorry," he whispered despairingly, not knowing what else to say. Lothiriel's eyes tightened shut and she shivered at his breath as she heard the door close behind her.

* * *

_**The Next Morning...**_

Clouds covered, what seemed, the entire whole of the sky. A light drizzle began, as Eomer was saying his formal goodbyes to the Prince and his family under the shelter of a small terrace at the entrance of the Palace, in front of the main doors of their home. His men were gathered and ready to leave, only waiting for their King to mount his horse and lead them back home.  
  
"Have a safe journey, Eomer," Elphir told him, clasping his shoulder. Eomer thanked him and bowed his head slightly, smiling to Alphros and Idhren who stood next to Elphir. He then turned to Erchirion, who bowed his head silently at Eomer, and clasped his shoulder in sentiment. Eomer smiled and nodded, knowing Erchirion was not one to say much, especially when saying goodbye. Next was Amrothos, who was usually warm and friendly to anyone, especially friends like Eomer, but Amrothos was quiet this morning. Eomer knew by his expression that he had talked with Lothiriel the night before.  
  
"Be safe, King," Amrothos told him, clasping his shoulder. Eomer nodded meekly, and turned to Imrahil. Imrahil smiled to him reassuringly, knowing that this was difficult for the young King. He pulled Eomer into a brotherly hug, and whispered in his ear, "It is for the best, trust me, my friend. I will not lead you astray." Eomer nodded, saying nothing, as they pulled apart.  
  
Last in line was Lothiriel, who looked to him with eyes that burned through his heart. He opened his mouth to say something, but she was quicker to speak.  
  
"My Lord King, I hope your journey is safe," she said in a polite tone, curtseying in mock formality. The whole ordeal made Eomer want to scream with frustration, but he kept his calm. He caught her gaze, and his eyes seemed to plead with her. Suddenly, Lothiriel turned away, feeling as if the barriers she had set up around her heart the night before crumbled to nothing. But Lothiriel refused to let her emotions get the best of her.  
  
"Lothiriel," Eomer breathed softly, taking a step closer. He began to embrace her, but Lothiriel pushed him away and extended her hand to him. Eomer looked down at her hand in confusion, but realized that she wanted to shake hands.  
  
"Goodbye, my Lord," Lothiriel said shakily. She felt her knees go weak and heard her voice crack at the words she spoke, but she kept up her façade, trying with every inch of her being to hold back tears.  
  
Eomer sighed heavily, and shook her hand. "Goodbye Princess," he replied, shakily as well, flipping the hood of his cloak onto his head, and making his way into the rain to his company. He mounted his horse, as his men separated a bit to allow him to go to the head of the band. With a quick call to ready themselves, Eomer began at a leisurely pace, as if he was sight-seeing, secretly and desperately hoping in his heart that Imrahil would call to him and say that he changed his mind, though he knew it to only be a fantasy.  
  
Lothiriel watched from the steps of her home, as Eomer slowly made his way into the city and farther away from the Palace. She could feel her heart break with every step Firefoot took, her tears no longer being able to be restrained. Her mind told her to stick her ground, to stay right where she was and dare not move even an inch towards his direction, but her heart screamed for her to go after him. She began to breathe faster, heart racing with emotion, and as her family turned to make their way inside, Lothiriel called out to Eomer as loudly as she could. Her family all turned to see Lothiriel run out into the rain, reaching the company and desperately trying to call to Eomer's attention at the head of it.  
  
"My Lord!" Eomer turned to see his small band a few feet behind him and they seemed to be frozen in place.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked as he came closer to them, and they all parted a bit and turned to face a young woman, soaked from the rain and standing patiently, staring at Eomer. It was Lothiriel, and Eomer quickly dismounted his horse and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her to shield her from the rain with his cloak. "What are you doing?" he asked gently, trying to hold up his arms to create a makeshift shelter with his cloak, but Lothiriel pulled his arms down and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I am so sorry... I am so sorry..." she repeated into his neck, holding him close. Eomer caressed her hair gently, trying to calm her, for she seemed out of breathe from crying. The tears were not evident, however, for her face was wet with rain. They pulled apart, Eomer wrapping his hands around her, trying desperately to keep her warm. Lothiriel stared into his eyes, not caring that it was raining and she was soaked, or that a few of the Dol Amrothians came out from their homes to watch the spectacle. "Please do not go, do not leave me..." she pleaded softly. Her shoulders drooped and her expression was one of complete and utter exhaustion. The words pierced through Eomer's heart and he wrapped his large arms around her once more, holding her closer than he had ever held her before.  
  
"Do not leave, Eomer, please..." Lothiriel kept pleading, and Eomer felt short of breath. He was thankful for the rain, for it hid the fact that tears were streaming down his face; never had his emotions for one woman been so strong.  
  
"Lothiriel," he said sternly, still holding her tight, her cheek pressed to his. "Lothiriel, I will return, I promise you I will. And when I do, I will make you my wife," he told her, kissing her on the cheek then turning to leave, daring not to take one more look at her, for fear he would never be able to pull himself from her. Lothiriel, however, grabbed him by his arm and turned him towards her, pulling him into a passionate kiss.  
  
Imrahil and his sons watched from the steps of their home, for the company had not made it out of eyeshot. "Father, do something, she is making a scene," Elphir said to his Father, who seemed as immobile as a statue, only staring out and watching silently.  
  
"Elphir!" Amrothos berated, as they all returned their gaze to Lothiriel, who finally pulled away from Eomer. The Rohirrim King reached his hand to caress her cheek, then turned and made his way to his horse, remounting it and calling out once more. Within minutes the company was off into the distance, Eomer leading his men at a fast pace, pushing Firefoot as if there was a race that needed to be won.  
  
Lothiriel collapsed to the ground, falling on her knees, and immediately Idhren handed Alphros to Elphir and ran to her, Amrothos following, both coming to either side of Lothiriel. Amrothos held up his cloak to shelter the women while Idhren tried to calm her sister and get her to go inside, Lothiriel silent in words as she wept.

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pretty long chapter. anyway, hope you liked! and keep reviewing!!! I love seeing them!! hehe =] 


	17. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks for the reviews!!! they are awesome, and they're almost to 100, hehe! anyway, hope you enjoy!! =]

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Chapter 16: Family Time  
  
The Princes and Princess of Dol Amroth sat silently at the table as they waited for supper to be served. Their Father had decided to take his dinner in his room, feeling too weary from the day, and Idhren had eaten and gone to bed early, for she had acquired a mild cold from the rain earlier in the day. The sound of the raindrops splattering upon the exterior of the home was the only sound that could be heard in the dining room, as each of the siblings had something that occupied their thoughts, and did not speak for some time.  
  
Though she did not say it, the three men knew what occupied their sister's thoughts. They all had watched her collapse in the middle of the road and weep in the rain that day, and in truth they did not know what to say to her. The situation itself was difficult enough, but each brother felt that no matter what they'd say, their sister's heart would not be settled. At some point during the course of his meal, each brother individually took a glance at Lothiriel, all noticing her flushed cheeks and swollen eyes from the tears she had shed. She sat so meekly at the table, looking fragile and unstable, eyes still watering and misted. Elphir felt he could no longer take the silence, and so he spoke.  
  
"I received a letter from my dear friend, Arthon of Pelargir, this day," Elphir declared, in an attempt to lighten the mood and begin some sort of conversation. Lothiriel, as well as Erchirion, only looked up from their meals as Elphir spoke, neither bothering to utter a word. Amrothos, however, realized his brother's attempts, and tried to help.  
  
"How does he fare?" Amrothos asked, after devouring the last of his stew.  
  
"Quite well. He hopes to come to Dol Amroth in a month or so, if his work allows. Actually, his letter was in regards to Lothiriel," Elphir stated, as Amrothos and Erchirion looked to Lothiriel for a reaction. She gently pushed away her bowl, being finished with her meal, and sat silently, as if totally unaffected. "He speaks quite highly of you, Lothiriel, though it has been a year or two since he has seen you last. I believe he was quite charmed by you from the moment he met you, and it seems that he has decided to settle down and be in search of a wife," Elphir continued.  
  
Erchirion laughed lightly at his eldest brother's ignorance, and Amrothos winced at his insensitivity. It seemed Elphir had a knack for saying the wrong things at the worst times, and often times he did not know it. Lothiriel huffed in shock, for she could not believe Elphir's words. He was not blind, he had seen the events of that morning; he knew her heart was bound to Eomer's. Yet there he sat across from her, presenting to her a possible suitor for a betrothal. She felt sick to her stomach, and though in her heart she knew Elphir meant well somehow, her anger got the best of her.  
  
"I am sorry to disappoint whatever ideas he, or you brother, may be harboring, but I am already bound to another," she said passionately, Amrothos placing his hand gently on her shoulder to calm her, as Lothiriel's eyes were fixed on Elphir.  
  
"Bound to another?" Elphir retorted, looking to his right, at Erchirion, and giving him a look of disbelief, as if to mock his sister. "You are young, Lothiriel, you would know nothing about one's heart being bound to another's. You have yet to meet other men of Arda. For Eru sake, do not limit yourself so early in life," he said plainly, huffing in amazement as he did so and returning to the task of finishing his stew.  
  
Lothiriel could feel her hands clench into fists at her sides, her anger rising to new levels.  
  
"Elphir..." Amrothos called in a pleading tone, observing that his brother was pushing Lothiriel's buttons though he was oblivious to it, which only posed to make matters worse.  
  
Elphir looked up from his stew, wiped his mouth and pushed the bowl away. He looked to Amrothos, who appeared to have more to say.  
  
"Could you not have saved the subject for another time?" Amrothos asked, as his head jerked slightly to the right, motioning to Lothiriel.  
  
"It is the truth, Amrothos. She would have come to face it sooner or later. If she feels her heart is bound to another, then fine, maintain the fantasy. But in the meantime, it would not kill her to get to know other prospects. I admit she is young, yes, but coming of age nonetheless."  
  
At this, Lothiriel felt she could not repel her anger any longer. She slammed both her fists on the wooden table, causing it to shake slightly. All three brothers looked to her, startled, her breathing rapid and quick, and her eyes beginning to swell with tears.  
  
"Do you doubt me, then Elphir? That is what this is about, that is what it is always about! You do not think I can make my own decisions, that I am too young and too fanciful to lead my own life, is that it? Your problem, Elphir, is that you wish to control the decisions of everyone else, but you've no control over your own decisions!"  
  
Lothiriel knew she had touched a sensitive subject, for it was well known amongst the four that Elphir was never one to disobey his Father, ever, and each sibling knew that this was a rather suffocating trait. Neither of the four could remember the last time Elphir made a decision without some sort of input from their Father. Even the courtship of Idhren would have never taken place had Imrahil not approved.  
  
"I will not sit here and be insulted, especially not by my youngest sibling," Elphir said coldly, and stood to take his leave, but Lothiriel stood as well and followed his every step, pushing against his chest and keeping him from leaving the dining room. Elphir tried to ignore her pugnacious behavior, but she did and said all that she could to try and provoke him.  
  
"What then, Elphir?" Lothiriel cried, as Amrothos stood to keep the two apart. "What would you have me do then? Tell me because it is you, is it not, out of the four of us who is always right? Because everything you say and everything you do has Father's approval..." she continued, as Amrothos attempted to calm her.  
  
"Erchirion, come!" Amrothos called, as Elphir was beginning to lose his patience.  
  
"You speak of love sister, ha! This from the girl who thought herself in love with that sailor! The one who never returned for you," Elphir spat, and Lothiriel jolted forward to try and strike him, but failed for Amrothos held her back.  
  
"Do not speak of him in such a tone, brother, you've no right! You drove him away!" Lothiriel screamed, as Amrothos pleaded for Erchirion to help him. Erchirion had been silent all the while, but finally stood to calm Elphir and refrain him from making his way to Lothiriel, for it was obvious that if the two were to come within arms reach of each other, tempers would flare to physical fighting.  
  
"Yes, that is right, I drove him away. But what choice was there to make, Lothiriel? I found you out in the middle of the night at a pub with him! 'Twas a disgrace, it was as if you were a common street maid!"  
  
"Elphir!" Amrothos scolded.  
  
"Brother, you are pushing it!" Erchirion warned.  
  
"You hated him from the beginning, you all did!" Lothiriel cried, pulling away from Amrothos' grasp, the tears seeming endless. "Not because of what he did but because of who he is. What will you say then, brothers, now that my love is not for a lowly sailor but for a King?" The three were silent, and Lothiriel continued. "You've nothing to say, for Eomer is your friend and you've nothing against him. So what now, brothers? What have you to say against my love for him? Because I am young? But you said so yourself, Elphir, that I now come of age. Do you doubt my love? No, it cannot be, because you did not doubt my love before. You would have never sent Ceredir away had you thought my love folly."  
  
Lothiriel paused for a moment, and looked upon the faces of each of her brothers, who said nothing. "Well? Tell me what have you to say! Nothing! You have nothing to say, because you know that nothing would sway my heart; you see it, I know you do!" she shouted, her breathing rapid as she cried.  
  
"I have yet to believe you!" ..."Do not doubt her so!" ..."Believe what you want!" ..."Can you not speak of this calmly?"...  
  
"Enough!" The siblings ignored the cry however, and continued to argue and attempt to talk over one another. "ENOUGH!" This time the cry was louder and more commanding, as the four quickly shut their mouths and turned to see their Father enter the room. "What is the matter with you four? As if you were not raised any better. Your mother would be ashamed," Imrahil told them, looking upon each of their faces. All looked down in embarrassment, and were silent at their Father's words.  
  
After a few moments, Lothiriel looked up and addressed her three brothers, as well as her Father. "I will marry Eomer, with or without your consents, though, I would much rather have all of your blessings." Her tone softened towards the end, and with that she took her leave of her family, leaving them in their own silence and thoughts.

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really intense chapter, hehe, but hope it explained a bit. anyway, thanks again for the reviews, and thanks for keeping them up!!! =] 


	18. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks so much for the reviews guys!! sorry this chapter took me so long, had a bit of writer's block, bleh, and things have been busy around here lately. anyway, hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 17: An Unexpected Guest  
  
_**Two Months Later...**_  
  
Lothiriel could feel the cool, soothing breeze brush her cheeks as she sat in front of her room window, a blanket wrapped around her as she looked out over the sea. She sighed heavily, not wanting to leave her room. For the past few weeks, her room became her sanctuary. She would spend hours upon hours in it during the day, avoiding any protocol and wearing out the excuse of feeling ill. Her family very well knew why Lothiriel was acting the way she was, though none dared to mention Eomer's name, for fear that Lothiriel's composure would break and she would no longer be able to control her emotions. Lothiriel, however, felt all cried out. '_When will he come_?' she'd think to herself, every hour of every day. It seemed like the more she hoped, the farther away he felt.  
  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Lothiriel's thoughts were broken as she stammered to call out, "Come in." She turned to see her Father poke his head into the room; he then entered and closed the door behind him, taking a seat on Lothiriel's bed so as to address her.  
  
"Lothiriel, will you not eat something this day?" her Father asked, concerned. Lothiriel shook her head lightly.  
  
"I will ask Daerien to bring something up later. I have no appetite at the moment."  
  
Imrahil sighed heavily, as Lothiriel returned her gaze to the sea. "Daughter, please, do not neglect your health. You must move on with your life. Locking yourself in your room in such idleness will not make him return any faster," the Prince pleaded, but Lothiriel seemed not to hear it.  
  
"It has been two months Father, and not even a single letter of any reassurance has come, though I send a letter every week guaranteeing my faithfulness. Maybe Elphir was right, Father, maybe it truly was not love," Lothiriel said sadly, still gazing out to the sea. Imrahil could hear the strain in her voice, and his heart was undoubtedly clouded with guilt. Eomer had responded to each and every letter Lothiriel sent, though Lothiriel did not know it. Imrahil had the letters sent to him immediately, and hid them away in the drawer of his desk.  
  
It pained him to see Lothiriel like this, and he felt so guilty for what was going on. But this would no doubt test their love to the limit, and Imrahil wanted to be sure that Eomer was the man Lothiriel loved enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him. Before Imrahil could respond to comfort his daughter, there was a knock at the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Lothiriel called, from her seat.  
  
"Daerien, Lothiriel. My apologies for disturbing you, but someone has arrived, and I think you should come see," the young maid called in response, not knowing that the Prince was also in the room. Lothiriel looked to her Father, eyes widened, as she threw the blanket off of her and stood to exit the room. Imrahil sat silently for a moment, and wondered who this visitor was. '_It could not be Eomer, I told him not to come lest I beckon him to. He would not..._' he thought to himself, and stood to quickly to make his way to the main hall to see for himself who the guest was.

* * *

_**Moments Later...**_  
  
Lothiriel could feel her heart racing. Daerien would not say who this man was, but Lothiriel was too preoccupied to question why. She was not sure it was Eomer, in truth she more hoped that it would be, and when she entered the hall and looked upon the figure, whose back was turned to her as he spoke to her brother Erchirion, her heart dropped as she realized it was not Eomer.  
  
However, Lothiriel could not help but wonder why this mysterious man seemed so familiar. She could not see his face, but she could hear his voice as he spoke, and the sound was no stranger to her ears. As she approached, Imrahil entered the hall, and approached as well, Erchirion finally noticing the two as they came closer.  
  
"Father," Erchirion addressed, as the Prince and his daughter finally came up to the two. The guest still kept his back towards Imrahil and Lothiriel, and she could see the man's head slump a bit, as if in some sort of embarrassment. "Um, Father, this is Narthan of Pelargir," Erchirion introduced, as the man finally turned to smile warmly to Imrahil and Lothiriel.  
  
Both Imrahil and Lothiriel stood shocked, gasping almost simultaneously.  
  
"Ceredir?" Lothiriel finally blurted, as she took a step closer to examine his face. There was no mistaking his green eyes and fair features, though, he now sported a light beard, and his light brown hair was a bit longer in length. He was still as tall as Lothiriel remembered, but no longer lean and lanky. On the contrary, he seemed built and muscular, though Lothiriel remembered Ceredir to always have been lazy when it came to work, so she wondered how he could have acquired such a physique.  
  
"M-my Lady," he stammered, as Lothiriel began to hug him, but took her hand and kissed it lightly instead. "It is Narthan of Pelargir," he continued, as he released her hand and turned to Imrahil, Lothiriel only staring at him speechless. "My Lord Prince," he addressed, bowing respectfully. Imrahil looked to his daughter, who was on the verge of tears as she gazed wide- eyed.  
  
"YOU, are Narthan of Pelargir?" Imrahil asked in a tone of surprise.  
  
Narthan nodded silently, and sighed as he realized that the Prince and his children were in complete shock at the moment. "Um, my Lord Prince, if I may, the business I need to speak to you of? Of the new ships you requested?" he asked, in hopes the Prince would overlook the shock from the past.  
  
"Oh, oh yes, yes please, um, we may converse in my study," the Prince stammered, motioning for his guest to follow him. Narthan bowed slightly, and took his leave of Erchirion and Lothiriel. He turned to look at Lothiriel as he followed Imrahil, but she kept her head down and her eyes were closed as she breathed in deep, not noticing the tear that fell from her cheek.  
  
When the Prince and Narthan had finally left the room, Erchirion turned to Lothiriel.  
  
"Are you well, sister? You are so pale," he asked gently. Lothiriel wiped away her tears and nodded rapidly.  
  
"I am fine, Erchirion. I just, I did not expect, I mean I did not know that... what does it matter anyway? He is not the Ceredir I once knew," she replied, rather bitterly. "I, I am just shocked, that is all. Seeing him again, hearing his voice. It has been so long that for a moment, I did not think it was really him."  
  
"Such a strange turn of events," Erchirion said absently, as Lothiriel looked up at him.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I do not mean to sound insensitive, Lothiriel, but here you are, longing for one love, and in the midst of your longing, a past love, who you had pined for before, returns, yet we've no word from the one you love now. Quite the web that has been woven, is it not?" Erchirion stated matter of fact. Lothiriel stood speechless, and leaned into a hug from her brother, as tears gradually began to fall from her eyes, once again. He was right. Things had just become more complicated, and Lothiriel had no idea what to do.  
  
'_What am I to do?_' she thought to herself, as she hugged her brother in silence.

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eh, filler chapter yet again. so sorry, but I hope you liked anyway. thanks again for the reviews, and please keep them up!!! they rock =] 


	19. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: thanks again for the reviews!! hope you like =]

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Chapter 18: My Poor Heart  
  
_Lothiriel,  
  
First and foremost, I hope you are well, and that your family is well. It has been months now, and I only hope that this letter reaches you somehow, because by the tone of your writings, I have come to suspect that you have not received the other letters I've written. However, I find myself waiting at the gates of Edoras for the messenger that bears your letters to me. It seems the impatience of hearing word from you comes without failure. I am so sorry that this is happening, Lothiriel, and I wish I could explain myself further. It is only a matter of trust, that you must trust me when I say that I will return to you. I suppose I do not have much else to say. Everything here is well, though I miss you terribly. I love you Lothiriel, and I cannot wait to hold you again.  
  
You have my heart,  
Eomer.  
_Eomer looked over the letter, this being his second time reading it. What he had written was true, he assumed foul play when it came to the arrival of these letters, for in each of Lothiriel's letters, her desperation became more and more evident, though he'd reassure her constantly in his replies. He would not entirely give up hope, however, and so he gave the note to his messenger and sent the boy on his way to Dol Amroth.  
  
It had been two months since Eomer last saw Lothiriel, and the separation was becoming more than he could handle, and in truth, the separation seemed to be more than anyone could handle; for on many occasions the King was found staring blankly into nothing, much to the dismay of his advisors and friends. Everything reminded him of Lothiriel, or a time they've spent together, and he felt himself gradually falling mad with loneliness with each day that passed.  
  
"My lord?"  
  
It seemed Eomer had blanked out once again as he stared out of one of the windows in the hall. Pulling himself from his thoughts, he turned to see Elfhelm standing before him.  
  
"Yes Elfhelm?" he replied, his voice echoing a bit in the great hall.  
  
"It is nothing, sir, I only meant to ask if you are well. You seem to be preoccupied. In truth, sire, you seem to be preoccupied quite often," Elfhelm said meekly, not wanting to upset Eomer.  
  
"I know, I am sorry. I just, well I miss her, Elfhelm. You know when we are together, we carry such conversation that would seem like complete nonsense and things of unimportance to others, but to the two of us it is conversation worth hearing," Eomer stated, beginning to feel a bit of nostalgia. Elfhelm realized this, and decided to humor his melancholy King.  
  
"What sort of things surface in these conversations, my Lord?"  
  
"Oh, well you know, things of our homes and our individual cities. She tells me stories of her childhood and adolescence, and confides in me her dreams and aspirations, and what she used to want to do with her life when she was a child. I tell her many of the same things, but I always find my stories to be of no comparison to hers," Eomer replied, as he took a seat on his grand throne. Elfhelm pulled a chair to where Eomer sat and seated himself across from him.  
  
"Has she led an interesting life then?"  
  
"In truth, Elfhelm, she has led a rather normal life, save her mother's death and the War of the Ring. Despite those odds, however, she seemed determined to not let her life fall apart."  
  
"That is most admirable, my Lord, especially for a girl of young age."  
  
"Truly," Eomer replied, sighing. "After the War, and especially after Faramir asked for Eowyn's hand in marriage, I did not think I had much to look forward to. This business of being King, I am more driven by the thought of my people rather than personal want. But she has changed my perspective, Elfhelm. I would look forward to each new day if I knew I would be sharing the rest of my days with her."  
  
Elfhelm only nodded silently in response, as Eomer buried his face in his hands. He meant to say something comforting to the King, but Eomer interrupted him before he could even begin.  
  
"I will go for a ride out of the city, Elfhelm. I need to clear my head."  
  
"Of course, my Lord. When should we expect you?"  
  
"I will return come nightfall, or maybe before. I do not wish to be out too long."  
  
Elfhelm bowed slightly in acknowledgement, as Eomer took his leave of him and exited the hall, making his way to the stables. Elfhelm sighed heavily, and wondered what he, or any of Eomer's friends could do to lift the young King's spirits.

* * *

_**An Hour or so Later...  
**_  
Firefoot galloped forward and halted when coming up to a small field of tall grass. Eomer quickly dismounted and patted the horse's mane, cooing words of peace and calm, and gratitude for the horse's tiring obedience. The King let his horse walk about freely, to get some rest, as he slumped onto the ground, leaning back on his arms and stretching out his legs.  
  
Eomer could see the sunset from where he sat. He watched, as the feel of the soft, tall grass swaying with the breeze relaxed him into a reverie. Lying flat on his back and now looking up to the amber sky, he closed his eyes to try and calm his thoughts.  
  
'_Try not to think of her,_' he told himself, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. It felt so peaceful, and the field was deserted, Eomer hearing the sound of his breathing and Firefoot lightly chewing on grass. But as he listened closely, he could hear some sort of mumbling. He quickly sat up to try and listen more intently, whistling to Firefoot to halt whatever it was he was doing. His hand rested gently on the hilt of his sword, as he heard the mumbling sound yet again, and a bit louder this time.  
  
As he stood up, he decided to investigate, and listened to try and find just where the sound was coming from. Eomer threw his gaze left and right, the sound becoming louder, which meant he was close.  
  
"Aldfrid!"  
  
Eomer turned suddenly, and quickly ran to where he heard the cry. What he found surprised him, for it was a woman asleep on the ground, the tall grass hiding her completely. The girl looked young, well, younger than he anyway; maybe a year or two older than Lothiriel. Her hair looked like a dirty blond, though he was not sure whether or not that was the true color, for it could have been that she was just dirty in general. Her clothes were clearly soiled, and streaks of dust lined her pale face. She seemed to be dreaming violently, as tears were streaming down her face. The King felt pity for her, and knelt besides her, shaking her lightly to try and wake her.  
  
"Miss?" Eomer said gently, repeating it over and over as the woman continued to cry out. "Miss??"  
  
At that moment the woman sat straight up, her lips meeting perfectly with Eomer's for he hovered over her. Eomer suddenly turned immobile, the shock of what was happening paralyzing him, as the woman wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him deeper into the kiss.  
  
_**TBC...**_

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hope it wasn't too boring =] 


	20. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is who's.  
  
**AN**: hehe, thanks for the reviews!! =]

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Chapter 19: My Words Exactly  
  
The moon hung snugly in the deep, dark sky, shining a bright light on the seaside City. Lothiriel stared silently at the moon, so many thoughts running through her mind. She had been deadly quiet during dinner, as Narthan had been the guest for the evening. Her mind would draw blank whenever he would direct a question to her, or attempt to make some sort of small talk with her. How could he act as if they had only met this night? The idea was shocking and angered her. Though she did not speak much to him, she had an endless number of questions to ask.  
  
It seemed that at that moment, she had her chance, for he appeared in front of her as she sat quietly on a bench in the garden. At first, she only stared at him, and he only started in return, but finally he mustered up the courage to speak.  
  
"Do you mind?" he asked, motioning to the side of the bench that was vacant.  
  
Lothiriel turned her head slightly to glance at the spot. "'Tis not my bench, you may do as you please," she replied smugly. Narthan only shook his head lightly and took a seat next to her, resting his hands on his knees and inhaling a deep breath.  
  
"It is a fine night, is it not? The breeze is quit pleasing."  
  
"I suppose," Lothiriel retorted, crossing her arms. "Are you to stay for the night?" she asked, as if disgusted by the idea.  
  
"What brings you to such a question?" was his reply, looking out into the sky rather than looking to her, his tone calm and relaxed.  
  
"The fact that you are still here. I would have thought that by now at least one of my brothers would have said something to scare you away."  
  
He chuckled lightly, and continued to answer. "Had it not been for your Father's diplomatic approach to the entire situation, I believe that by now, they would have. Though, I could not escape Elphir's proud tone, Erchirion's lack of conversation, and Amrothos' glares."  
  
Lothiriel turned away, for she could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Just being in his presence was enough to build her emotions. For years, she had defended him to her family, trying desperately to justify his leaving her, more so for herself than for anyone else. Though she moved on with her life, deep down she secretly hoped for the day when he would return and shed light on why it was exactly that he had left. Now that he finally returned, however, she could not help but feel angry with him, especially since he returned as Narthan, not as Ceredir. It was as if his coming back was simply by chance; a simple trip in the agenda of his new life.  
  
"Lothiriel?"  
  
She turned to see him looking towards her intently. Before she responded, she tried quickly to wipe away her tears, in hopes that maybe he had not noticed, or he would not mention the fact that she was crying.  
  
"Lothiriel, are you well?"  
  
"How could you so nonchalantly ask me such a question? What do you think, Ceredir? Do you honestly think that I am well?"  
  
Ceredir paused for a moment, and offered the ends of his tunic to wipe her cheeks with. Lothiriel only scoffed with frustration, thinking he offered it in jest.  
  
"No, I suppose I do not. This is all happening so fast; months before I had imagined everything to come about quite differently."  
  
"Did you expect a warm embrace as a welcome? Well, you even denied me that gesture when you arrived, Narthan of Pelargir," Lothiriel said coldly, as Ceredir winced at her words.  
  
"Lothiriel, I know that you are angry with me, but I had hoped that you surpassed that anger and had forgiven me for my offense to you."  
  
"I had surpassed it, but seeing you here, having you here now, I cannot help but feel... hurt. Every emotion I felt when I finally realized that you would not return has come rushing back to me, and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach at the sight of you."  
  
"I understand you, Lothiriel, and I am sorry I make you feel that way now, but I only ask that you forgive me, and pardon my actions. I never meant to intentionally hurt you."  
  
At this point Lothiriel was starting to sob. He had no idea just how much hurt he had caused her. She had loved him so much. The wound from his leaving her never really healed entirely.  
  
"Why did you leave, Ceredir? Had I done something wrong?"  
  
Ceredir turned to her, and quickly took her hands within his own. "Oh, no Lothiriel, it was nothing like that. After Elphir found us that night at the tavern, I had a talk with your Father. He asked me to leave Dol Amroth, to give you some space because you were quite young at the time, and because he worried that you were rushing into things too quickly."  
  
"My Father?" Lothiriel asked, puzzled. "He has never told me this before."  
  
"I do not think he would, but do not blame him, Lothiriel. He said he would send me post when he saw it fit for me to return into your life, and he kept his word. It was I who chose not to come when he beckoned."  
  
"But... but why? Did you not love me, Ceredir?"  
  
"On the contrary, Lothiriel, I loved you very much. But the words of Elphir echoed in my mind. He told me that I was not good enough for you." He chuckled towards the end, and then continued. "When your Father's letter came, I was between work in Pelargir. I took to being the town drunk, turning to ale to comfort the emptiness I felt, and I could not keep up responsibilities. The night I read the letter, I felt beside myself. I wanted to return as quickly as possible, but I realized that I could not. I had become lower than what your brother saw unfit to marry you, and times were troubled then. I had no horse, no money, no weapon to assure some sort of safety. Everything I had was lost."  
  
"Did you not trust me to love you despite the fact?"  
  
"I only thought that you deserved better. It has taken me years to build the persona of Narthan of Pelargir, the renowned ship maker and now emissary for the bustling harbour. I always planned to return to Dol Amroth, though, now that I have it feels like it was too soon of a return."  
  
There was an awkward silence between the two, but finally Lothiriel spoke, quite meekly. "I would have waited for you forever."  
  
Ceredir smiled warmly, caressing her cheek as she closed her eyes to the touch. "I know it." Again there was an awkward silence, and again Lothiriel spoke.  
  
"I have to know, Ceredir. Do you still love me?" she asked, sitting up straight to address him, her shoulders tense and expression blanketed with questioning.  
  
"What does it matter, Lothiriel. Your Father tells me that you've come to fancy the newly crowned King of Rohan."  
  
"Tell me, Ceredir, I need to know."  
  
"And if I told you, what then would you do Lothiriel? If I said no, would you hide the breaking of your heart? Or if I said yes, would you return with me to Pelargir?"  
  
"Give me your answer, and we shall see what my reaction is."  
  
Ceredir paused for some time, being cautious when choosing his words. Lothiriel tried to read his expression, as Ceredir tried to read hers. Finally, he spoke. "Then yes, Lothiriel, I still love you."  
  
Lothiriel kept silent for a moment, the revelation rendering her speechless for the time being. But finally she found her voice and spoke. "What is it then that you expect of me?" she asked slowly, tears causing her voice to crack.  
  
"Like I said, if I asked, would you return with me to Pelargir, and eventually become my wife?"  
  
Her thoughts became frantic. A life with Ceredir; was this all she's ever wanted? In her heart she loved him deeply, but differently. She imagined a life with Ceredir, and as she did a sharp pang in her stomach surfaced, for she realized it would mean a life without Eomer. Even the thought of it made her nauseated. Did she want Ceredir as a husband, and Eomer as a dear friend? No. No, no and no. The answer screamed through her soul. If anything, at least one good thing resulted from Ceredir's departure: she discovered that she could live without him.  
  
"N-no. No I cannot," she stammered, and Ceredir smiled warmly, to her surprise.  
  
"Good, because I will not ask it of you."  
  
"What? But you just said..."  
  
"Yes, I love you Lothiriel, but it is not the kind of love where I wish to join my life with yours. You were my first love, a dear love, though not my greatest; but for what it is worth, I cherish you always for that."  
  
Lothiriel smiled widely, tears streaming down her cheek as she jumped to embrace him.  
  
"My words exactly," she breathed, sobbing now with tears of joy, for she felt like an unfinished chapter in her life had finally been completed. She was no longer bound by her past; she had only to look to the future.

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hope you enjoyed =] 


	21. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is WHOSE.

**AN**: This is chapter 20, and only now did I realize I used the wrong form of "whose/ who's" in my disclaimer. I thought that was funny =D. anyways, thanks again for the reviews guys, they really help to keep me going. hope you enjoy this one! =]

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Chapter 20: Strange Occurrences

Eomer could feel his heart pounding. There were so many thoughts running through his head that he could not think to do the obvious, which was push away. However, he did miss the sensation of a woman's lips to his own, and though she was dirtied her fragrance was still a bit inviting. Eomer gradually began to succumb to her embrace, the kiss growing deeper and deeper, until finally it was she who ended it and pulled away. Immediately Eomer freed himself from what felt like a trance, and looked to the girl who was rubbing her forehead in confusion, her eyes closed tight as she moaned lightly.

"What is going on?" she asked puzzled, still rubbing her forehead as if to wake herself fully. Eomer stammered to find words. He felt like in that brief moment he took advantage of her, though it was she who managed to find his lips, and what was worse was that he felt as if he had betrayed Lothiriel. But in truth, what he had done was only a result of how much he missed her; the kiss proving he missed her physically just as much as emotionally.

"I am sorry, I did not mean any harm. It was just, well, I did not expect you to greet me so warmly," Eomer replied gently. The girl finally opened her eyes fully and set them on Eomer. When she realized who he was, she gasped in shock and bowed her head in utter reverence.

"My Lord, please forgive me, I must have gotten carried away in my dreams. Please forgive me, I did not mean to harass you so," she said quickly, her blond hair covering her face.

"No, no please it is I who owe you an apology. But if I may, what are you doing out here in the middle of a field, alone with nothing but a worn sack?" Eomer inquired, glancing at the wretched looking bag that lay at the girl's side. The girl quickly snatched the bag and held it protectively, a look of offense on her face.

"I came seeking work in Edoras," she declared, eyeing how Eomer held the hilt of his sword. The King realized what she was looking at, and quickly let go. He then proceeded to take his cloak and wrap it around her, the chill of a cold breeze passing through. After all, she had nothing with her, not even a horse, and no one had returned for her.

"You came to seek work in Edoras?" Eomer asked questioningly. Though he did not feel her as a threat, it did not mean he trusted her completely.

"Yes that is right. Is it such a crime my Lord?"

"Not in the least. Where are you from?"

"The village of Underharrow."

"You travel alone then?"

"As you see, my Lord."

Eomer looked at the girl puzzled. Why was she traveling alone? It seemed rather odd. Had she no family? She looked quite young to be married, though if she was, where was her husband? She had traveled quite far, and she was a maiden. There must have been some sort of protest from some kin.

"What is your name, if I may so boldly ask?"

"You may ask what you will, my Lord, you are King after all. My name is Beornwyn, child of Heahmund. It is a pleasure you meet you, my King," she said extending her hand. Eomer was surprised at her confidence, but warmly accepted her handshake all the same.

"Likewise," he replied then looked around him, noticing that it was getting darker by the minute. "I suggest that now would be a good a time as any to return to Edoras. Nightfall will arrive shortly, and though you being here alone has posed enough of a danger, there are more dangerous enemies that lurk in the night."

Beornwyn nodded politely. "Yes my Lord." Both stood, as Beornwyn held tight to the cloak, the warmth of the material easing her shivers.

"I will not have you walk to the city. Come, you will ride with me back..." Eomer began, but the girl quickly protested.

"Oh, no my Lord I could not."

"I insist..."

"No, please, I truly must not. It would seem highly improper." She had a point. Though Eomer wasn't one to pay close attention to social etiquette, he did not wish to create a scene.

"Then ride atop Firefoot alone, and I will walk alongside him and lead him. It would take a bit longer than riding back, but I suppose you are giving me no choice."

Beornwyn bowed meekly. "I do not mean to inconvenience you, my Lord."

"'Tis no matter, really. Quickly then, it should take but a half an hour," Eomer told her, lifting her to sit atop Firefoot. He then took the reins and began to walk leisurely in the direction of Edoras.

It did not take long for his thoughts to turn to Lothiriel. He wondered what she was doing at that very moment. Surely she would not be found embracing another man. '_Or would she?_' No! Of course not, how could he think of such a thing! First to betray her then accuse her; the kiss however played no great effect to doubt his emotions for Lothiriel. Rather, it stirred his heart even more for her. He missed the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips, the scent of her dark hair captivating his senses, the warmth of her embraces. It did not take much for him to realize that he thought her the most beautiful of maidens.

At that moment he looked up at Beornwyn. She did not notice his glance, and only looked ahead of where she was going. Her expression was peaceful and calm, which made Eomer wonder as to why that was so. Surely locking lips with the King of one's country would put anyone on edge, would it not? He felt his curiosity get the better of him, and decided to make conversation.

"Why do you travel alone, Beornwyn? Do you leave family behind in Underharrow?"

"I leave the memory of family behind in Underharrow," she stated. Eomer soon regretted having asked the question, obviously touching on a personal subject for the girl.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to..."

"No, it is alright, I feel no shame in it."

"Then would it be too much to ask what happened?"

"My, you are rather curious, but I will humor you for you have been kind to me," she said in mock smug raising her chin as if she were a woman of nobility. Eomer chortled as she then continued. "I was orphaned when I was young. My mother's dear friend took me in after my parents had died."

"I am sorry to hear it, Beornwyn," Eomer said compassionately, being able to empathize with the girl.

"I am sorry to tell it, my Lord."

"Did the woman die? The one who took you in?" Once again Eomer regretted his words. He quickly realized that he was digging too deeply for just polite conversation. It did not seem to faze Beornwyn though, as she complied to answer the King's questions.

"She still lives, though in my heart I admit I wish it were not so." Eomer only gave her a puzzling look, and she continued. "Yes, I suppose it does sound cruel. But as quickly as she took me in when I was younger she has now driven me out."

Eomer stayed quiet this time, learning his lesson the two previous times. But to his surprise she carried on with the story. "Well, you bite your tongue now but I can see that you wonder why she would do such a thing. She discovered that her son and I fell in love. My long time childhood friend turned love of my life. For whatever reason, she disapproved of the union, but Aldfrid vowed to marry me. He never got the chance, he was called by duty to fight for his King, and in his absence his mother cast me away. I have yet to know if he has returned or not."

"Oh, so it is he you dreamt of?"

"Yes, I dream of him often. Usually I am searching for him amidst a battle, and when I find him I embrace him tenderly." There was now an awkward silence between the two, for obvious reasons. After a few moments, however, Eomer decided to break the silence.

"Why do you not go back to find out, if Aldfrid had lived or not?"

"I do not know. In truth his mother is a good woman, she is but afraid. Sometimes I think she only wishes to test me, to see if after all this, my love for her son will have been kept strong."

Eomer chuckled lightly. "Well, Beornwyn, child of Heahmund, it seems we have more in common than we might of imagined," he said, smiling to her. She smiled in return, looking up to see the city of Edoras slowly approaching.

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wow, longer than I expected. but anyway, a bit of a filler. hoped it put the suspense at ease, hehe. thanks again for the reviews, and thanks for keeping them up!! =]


	22. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.

**AN**: the reviews are greatly appreciated! thanks so much!!! I apologize that this took me awhile to post, I couldn't log in this morning and haven't been able to log in since, until now. anyways, hope you enjoy! =]

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Chapter 21: A Turn for the Better

It was dark, and cold, and quite the early hour; the cool morning breeze crisp to the touch. The sun had yet to rise, and in a few moments he would be leaving, but he wanted to say good-bye to Lothiriel before he did. He sat quietly in his chair, watching as she slept, the girl stirring slightly in her bed. He figured he should let her sleep in privacy, and stood to leave and make his way to the door, but not before kissing her lightly on her forehead, breathing "Good- bye" as he did so. Lothiriel began to awake at the feel of the kiss, moaning lightly then finally opening her eyes fully. She looked around her room for any sight of another person being there, but there was no one, only an empty chair at the side of her bed, and her door left ajar.

* * *

_**That Morning...**_

When Lothiriel had risen for the day, after having washed up and dressed, she immediately went in search of her Father. He was not in his room, where she had hoped he'd be, so she figured he was already at breakfast. Upon entering the dining hall, she was a bit surprised to find Elphir, not her Father, sitting at the table. Lothiriel knew it was too early for any of her brothers to be up, so she wondered what might have been amiss if Elphir had already risen for the day. As she stood in the entryway, Elphir looked up and smiled warmly.

"Good morning sister," he said cheerfully. Lothiriel half-smiled, and took a seat across from him at the table.

"You are up early, what brings you out of bed?" she asked, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap, as the server brought her tea.

"I believe I should ask you the same question," Elphir replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I meant to talk to Father. Where is he?" Lothiriel asked, taking a sip of tea after doing so.

"He left for Minas Tirith this morning," her brother answered. Lothiriel coughed having choked lightly on her tea in shock.

"He what? But, yesterday at dinner, he never mentioned anything. He would have said something would he not? And how could he have left so quickly with nothing prepared?"

"Oh, he was prepared, I suppose we did not know it. In truth, Idhren and I did not know until this morning either. He came to our quarters before dawn, bidding me good-bye and routinely giving me the responsibilities of the city. Idhren went back to sleep, but I knew I had an early day."

"Why did he not say anything?"

"I do not know I truly do not."

"I urgently needed to speak with him," she mumbled, Elphir noticing the distressed look on her face.

"About Ceredir?" he asked curiously. Lothiriel looked up and nodded.

"Did you know about it, Elphir? Because if you did so help me..." she began in a fiery tone.

"I did not know he sent him away, honestly. Like you had said before, I thought it was I who drove him away. But do not be so angry Lothiriel. Had Father not done what he did, you might have never found a new love, a greater one, in my opinion. It is as if everything seems to happen for a reason."

Lothiriel only contemplated his words. She surprisingly thought Elphir wise at that moment, which had never happened before. Suddenly her angered subsided, as she sat solemnly waiting for her breakfast. Wanting to change the subject and kill the amount of tension in the air, she again addressed her brother.

"Why does Father go to Minas Tirith so pressingly?"

"He said he had business to take care of in the city. He took Amrothos with him."

Lothiriel giggled lightly. "He took Amrothos?" she asked then whispered a "thank you" to the maid who had brought out their breakfast. Elphir did the same then returned his gaze to his sister.

"Yes, it is quite odd. Amrothos is not much of a politic or businessman. I suppose maybe Father wished him to have more experience."

"Where is Erchirion then, still asleep?"

"On the contrary, he has been up before anyone, I believe. He prepares to go to Ithilien, to Emyn Arnen. He sets out tomorrow morn."

Lothiriel looked up from her porridge, her eyes widened. "He goes to Emyn Arnen? Does he go to visit our cousin?"

Elphir nodded, "Yes, he does. I believe he meant to ask you if you wished to go."

Lothiriel looked away slightly. _Erchirion would be going to Ithilien_. The words made her heart skip a beat, for though she was excited to see her cousin and his wife, something else entered her mind. She lightly dabbed her napkin to her mouth, and pushed away her bowl.

"Do you know where he is, Elphir?" she asked, as she stood to take her leave. Elphir nodded, and mentioned to her the stables. She thanked him and quickly exited, as Elphir shook his head slightly at the sight of her then returned to finishing up his breakfast.

* * *

_**Moments Later...**_

Lothiriel entered the stables, and surveyed them for her brother. She immediately found him preparing his horse for the next day's journey, feeding the horse and marking sure he was not fatigued or weary for any reason. Lothiriel approached, Erchirion not noticing until she was face to face with him.

"Ah, Lothiriel, I was going to speak with you after I finished up with Roval. I did not expect you to be up this early."

"Yes, well, I did not expect to be up this early either. But of your trip to Ithilien, I wish to go, if I may."

"Of course, that is what I wished to speak to you of. I know you have been having a difficult time these past few months. I thought a trip to our dear cousin would cheer you up a bit."

Lothiriel smiled in appreciation, and continued. "There is something else that would cheer me up a bit as well," she said rather slyly, Erchirion giving her a puzzled look. "It is only you and I on this trip, is it not? Save a few loyal riders as accompaniment."

"Yes, that is correct. Why, Lothiriel, what are you planning?"

Lothiriel leaned in closer to her brother, looking around to make sure none of the others in the stables were listening. "What if before we go to Ithilien, we go to Rohan?"

"WHAT?" Erchirion cried, causing a few of the men to halt and stare.

"Shhh! Please Erchirion, I have yet to ask you for anything save for now."

"Lothiriel, it would take us longer to get to Rohan than it would take us to get to Ithilien, not to mention the easiest route to go to Rohan would be to pass through Ithilien anyway."

"So what if we do not stop in Ithilien, and just press on? Faramir need not know that we passed through."

Erchirion was shaking his head. "Lothiriel, no I do not like this. Faramir and Eowyn would worry for us, and Father is in Minas Tirith! You forget that we would pass the city if we were to go to Rohan."

"He need not know that we go to Rohan, and if I write to Eowyn I am sure she will understand."

"I have an ill feeling of this, I do not think it plausible. No, Lothiriel, do not give me that look, it is quite the chance to take, especially since Father would be angered at me more than he would you."

Lothiriel stamped her foot in frustration. '_Maybe this is why Father took Amrothos instead of Erchirion_' she thought to herself, and persisted to persuade her brother.

"Erchirion please. I beg you, just one night in Rohan. PLEASE," Lothiriel pleaded, gripping his arm as he attempted to take his leave. She could not read his expression, his eyebrows furrowed furiously, and he seemed to be debating the idea in his mind.

Finally he sighed heavily, and turned to her. "One night?"

"One night, that is all."

"You swear to me? You will not change your mind once we get there and beg to stay longer..."

"No, one night, I swear..."

"Then prepare your things. If we can, we should try leaving this afternoon, but if not then we must leave before dawn the next day. Either way, it should allow us more time."

Lothiriel smiled widely, and grabbed her brother to lower him as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much, Erchirion, I will not forget this. I truly am grateful, you have no idea..."

"All right, all right, just, think nothing of it. Go on then, prepare your things."

Lothiriel nodded, and quickly exited the stables. Erchirion sighed heavily, wondering what exactly it was he got himself into. Was it wise to trust his sister's judgment? He did not know, and suddenly thoughts of how he would explain this to Elphir, or Father for that matter, flooded his mind as he gently stroked the mane of his horse.

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hope you liked! =]


	23. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.  
  
**AN**: thanks so much for the reviews guys!! I see some reviewers are already predicting what's coming next. hehe, I hope I can put a spin on it somehow. anyways, hope you enjoy =]

* * *

Chapter 22: I Miss You  
  
Eomer sat silently in his room, face buried in his hands. He had had a dream that relived the kiss he and Beornwyn shared. Why was he dreaming of this? Did it mean more than he thought? Suddenly a flow of thoughts entered his mind, and they were all of Lothiriel. Again, betrayal was his first and foremost thought. But he soon found himself reminiscing of times they shared when he'd spend time in Dol Amroth. His fondest memory being the first time Lothiriel took him out to watch the sun set upon the ocean. He didn't think he'd seen anything so beautiful.  
  
'_I miss her horribly_' he thought to himself. '_I miss her laugh, and how she seemed to be interested in everything I had to tell her. I miss how she'd push me to do things I would not normally do. Her spirit, I miss it most…_'  
  
Just then there was a knock at the door. Eomer grabbed his robe and called "Who is it?" as he put it on.  
  
"The maid, my Lord," the voice called from behind the door. Eomer turned the knob and opened the door to reveal the young maid who curtseyed at first sight.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I beg your pardon, my Lord, but the Lady Guest wishes to speak with you."  
  
Eomer nodded, and proceeded to step out of his room, but the maid humbly held up her hand to stop him. He halted, puzzled, but at that moment Beornwyn came into sight, dressed for the day and her worn knapsack hanging off her shoulder.  
  
"Beornwyn," Eomer began, as the maid silently curtseyed once more and took her leave. "Are you off then?" Eomer asked, motioning to her knapsack. Beornwyn nodded.  
  
"I want to thank you greatly for your hospitality. You were not obligated to take me in for the night, yet you did and I thank you, though I know that a thank you is not much of a repayment."  
  
"'Tis nothing, really. Why such an early start in the day? It is but dawn, and you are welcome to stay for breakfast at the least."  
  
"No, really my Lord I must be going. I want to find work as quickly as possible. Hopefully find one by the end of the day."  
  
"Oh." There was a pause between them, and finally Beornwyn took her leave and turned to make her way to the exit of the structure, when Eomer called out to her.  
  
"Yes my Lord?" she asked, as she turned to face him once again.  
  
"What if I told you that you need not look for work this day. You speak of repayment for my kindness, what of the idea of working in the hall of Meduseld, as a maid?"  
  
Beornwyn gave him a puzzled look. "You offer me a position so freely? You've but known me for a day."  
  
"Well, I do not offer it freely. I am sure Hild will want to meet you and question you beforehand, but I'll put in a good word for you."  
  
"Hild??"  
  
"The head of servants of the Golden Hall. She's quite the taskmaster," Eomer said laughing lightly and continued, "but I am sure that you would be able to keep up with…" but before he could finish, Beornwyn interrupted.  
  
"Why are you doing this for me?"  
  
Eomer paused for a moment then said, "I suppose your story compels me to do these things."  
  
"I do not seek your pity," she responded quickly and defensively.  
  
"No, no of course not, I do not pity you, and if I did I do not mean for you to take offense. I empathize rather than pity." Beornwyn noticed the distant look on Eomer's face, and guessed as to what he meant.  
  
"She must not be of Rohan then."  
  
Eomer shook his head lightly, and returned his gaze to her. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
"The woman. There is a woman, is there not?"  
  
"Aye, yes there is."  
  
"She sent you away as well?"  
  
"No, her Father did."  
  
"Well, my Lord King, I am not one to take pity, but I believe your story and intentions valid. I accept your offer, with wholehearted thanks."  
  
"I am happy to hear it. I will speak with Hild once I am prepared for the day. You should probably return to your room and rest a bit more before rising for the day. I am sure Hild will speak with you during the course of the day."  
  
"Thank you again, my Lord. I owe you much."  
  
"Speak nothing of it, truly." Beornwyn smiled, and again turned to take her leave, as Eomer was beginning to shut his door, when Beornwyn called to him. Eomer reopened his door and turned to her.  
  
"My Lord, if I may give you some advice."  
  
Eomer raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded for her to proceed.  
  
"This woman, if you truly care for her, do not let the opinion of another chase you away. I know I do not know the whole of your story, and in truth have no real place to say anything on the matter, but it seems to me you still think of her, and if that be the case, then no journey is too grand, or too small to see her once again." Beornwyn smiled warmly, then bowed her head slightly and took her leave one last time.  
  
Eomer pondered her words as he shut his door. '_**No**_ _**journey is too grand…**_', the words echoed. '_Should I go to see her?_' he asked himself, wondering if enough was finally enough. The question weighed heavily on his mind. Again his thoughts were disrupted however, as he sighed deeply and opened the door, not bothering to ask whom it was.  
  
"Yes?" Eomer asked, annoyance lining his tone.  
  
"A letter, my Lord," the young boy said, obviously new on the job, for the boy stuttered a bit and wasn't sure what to do, so he bowed and took his leave hastily.  
  
Eomer opened the letter, and read it quickly. His eyes widened, and he could feel his heart race. "Maid!" he called out, and the young woman from earlier hurriedly ran to see what was amiss.  
  
"My Lord??" she asked frantic, wondering why the King had called so loudly and urgently.  
  
"Gather my things, tell Cook to pack food, and send callings to ready some men. I make leave this day."  
  
"This day my Lord???"  
  
"Yes, this day. As soon as possible I leave Edoras." The maid nodded and speedily took leave to fulfill her orders, as Eomer shut his door to prepare for the journey.  
  
TBC…

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hehe, hope you liked! =] 


	24. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.

**AN**: thanks for the reviews guys! sorry this is late in coming. hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 23: A Change of Plans

_**Some Days Later...**_

_Dearest Eowyn, _

_By the time you receive this letter, my brother and I should be a few days away from our destination: Rohan. I hope that this letter has come in haste so as not to worry you too much. I am sorry for such a change of plans, cousin, and Erchirion and I truly mean no harm, but if anyone would understand me I would hope it to be you. I do not suppose you know the full details of what is going on, and you must wonder why I would go to see your brother in secrecy, but I promise to explain everything when Erchirion and I arrive in Ithilien. We only mean to stay in Rohan for a day, and not a moment longer. Thank you for understanding, and I will see you soon. _

_Love, _

_Lothiriel. _

Eowyn refolded the letter, and could not help but laugh hysterically. In truth, the letter had arrived a day later than when the party from Dol Amroth was expected, and though Eowyn and Faramir did worry, in the end Eowyn was glad they had not worried terribly. She was still laughing, as a result of the letter, when her husband entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"What is so funny?" he asked her, having kissed her lightly on the forehead. The sun had already fully risen though Eowyn had yet to change out of her bedclothes.

"You are not going to believe this husband," she said, still chuckling. Faramir only looked at her puzzled, as he began to change out of his bedclothes, having snuck off to the kitchen for a glass of water before preparing for the day.

"Well?" he called, as he pulled his nightshirt off over his head, looking to Eowyn who sat atop the bed. "I am listening."

"Lothiriel and Erchirion have gone to Rohan," she replied, a huge smile across her face.

Faramir began to chuckle as he repeated the words. "Gone to Rohan? At least we know they are not lost, but to Rohan then?" he said once more, laughing as he did so.

Eowyn chortled in return. "Yes. Oh, Faramir we have made a mess of things," she told him, her laughter subsiding a bit as she rested her cheek in her palm. Faramir, amused by his wife's expression, took a seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her as she continued. "Had we not written to my brother and told him Lothiriel would be coming to Ithilien, he would not be in Ithilien. He would be in Rohan where your cousin has gone."

"Do not fret, we can fix this. Your brother will not leave lest he knows Lothiriel is safe. I fear he worried all night that she did not come yesterday. If we just tell him that she is in Rohan..."

"No!" Eowyn suddenly interrupted. Faramir looked at her, puzzled. "No, we should not tell him that she is in Rohan, for by your cousin's letter something tells me that she goes to Rohan in complete secrecy, even to my brother."

"That does not make sense. She would travel to Rohan for only a glimpse then?"

"Maybe, or maybe she means it to be a surprise. Either way, we must get Eomer out of Ithilien and traveling to Rohan as soon as possible. But it is like you said, he will not go lest he knows where Lothiriel is."

"Then tell him she remains in Dol Amroth. Say that she is ill and decided not to make the journey."

"What if he wishes to stay in Ithilien for a few days more?"

"What would it hurt?"

"Lothiriel and Erchirion will only stay in Rohan for a day, and not a moment more."

"Oh. Then if he wishes to stay, the most he could stay would be a day or two longer. I do not suppose my cousins have arrived yet, but I imagine they approach quickly."

"Let us hope that the news of Lothiriel's non arrival will drive him to leave Ithilien this day, or by the next morn. If not, I suppose I could make up some excuse to have him return." She looked up to her husband, who returned her gaze with loving eyes. Eowyn laughed merrily, pulling her husband into an embrace as they fell back on their bed then sharing a kiss. Both looked to each other with passionate eyes, until Eowyn disrupted the moment.

"We'd better get dressed for the day, my Brother may be expecting us for breakfast by now," she said, as she sat up from the bed. Faramir only grumbled and mumbled, causing Eowyn to giggle at her husband.

* * *

_**Moments Later...**_

Eomer looked out of the dining hall window, the sunlight shining through, causing an array of colors to show on the table. He waited patiently for his sister and brother to arrive, telling the server that he would begin when they had. The silence was boring, and he wondered what had kept them so. It was rather early, he did admit, but he could not wait to start the day, having not received much sleep the night before. He worried for Lothiriel, and it bothered him that neither Eowyn nor Faramir seemed to worry as much as he. They said that perhaps the party would only be a day late or so, but what if it was more than that?

Before Eomer could question and analyze the situation any further, his sister and her husband finally arrived at the table, smiling and chattering happily.

"Good morning brother," Eowyn said cheerfully, Faramir pulling a chair for her as she sat.

"Good morning Eowyn, Faramir," he replied to the both of them, bowing his head lightly to each as Faramir took a seat.

"Did you sleep well, Brother?" Faramir asked, and Eomer wondered if the man mocked him or truly wished to know.

"Hardly," Eomer stated, causing Faramir and Eowyn to hold back their laughter as the servers brought out some tea and bread.

"Well, you need not worry and sulk anymore Brother, for I received word today of Lothiriel and Erchirion," Eowyn told him. Eomer's eyes widened as he looked to his sister.

"And??" he asked, a bit impatient.

"And, I am sorry to say that they will not make the trip to Ithilien as planned, she has fallen ill," his sister replied.

"Ill? Will she be all right, how ill?"

"Not ill enough to threaten her entire health, but ill to where she cannot travel," Faramir coolly said. Eomer nodded in response. He paused for a moment; obvious that he was pondering the turn of events.

"I think that I should return to Edoras, come the morning then. Let us admit, though I am always happy to see my sister and her husband, my sole purpose in coming here was to see Lothiriel, and since she will not come, I suppose I should not intrude any longer," Eomer announced solemnly. Immediately Faramir and Eowyn looked to each other, knowing what the other was thinking.

"Well, if that is what you feel is best, though you know that you are always welcome here in our home," Faramir told him, as Eowyn nodded in accord.

"Yes, I know, and I do thank you kindly," he replied, as he started on his meal that was newly served, not noticing Faramir and Eowyn smiling happily to each other.

* * *

a filler I suppose, but I hope you liked. thanks again for the reviews, and keep them up!! they truly rock and always keep me going. thanks again! =]


	25. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.

**AN**: thanks for the reviews guys, and sorry this took me awhile to write. but anyways, hope you enjoy!!

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Chapter 24: Dreaming

**_Some Days Later..._**

"We are almost there." Lothiriel slowly opened her eyes, conscious of where she was: atop a horse. She must have fallen asleep, as she sat quietly behind her brother. They had been traveling almost nonstop for days, wanting to arrive in Rohan as quickly as possible. The last thing she remembered completely was leaving behind their riding party in a village not too far from the outer borders of Rohan. It was Lothiriel's idea to leave and return for them later, desiring not to draw attention to herself when she and Erchirion had arrived in Edoras. If anything, she'd want to arrive in complete secrecy.

"How long have we been traveling?" Lothiriel asked quietly, surveying the open plains.

"Some hours, it will not take long to get to Edoras now."

"I cannot wait," she breathed. It felt like she had been waiting forever to see Eomer, and now that she came so close to doing so, she felt anxious. Though she was excited, she also felt guilty. In addition to misleading her Father's trust, she was forcing Erchirion mislead their Father's trust. But she had to see him. There was no doubt in her mind that her Father had sent him away, and since this was so, he would not return with her to Dol Amroth upon her request. He would only return if Imrahil beckoned to, and there was no possibility of Lothiriel staying in Rohan, yet anyway. However, she had yet to know entirely as to why she wished to go to Edoras in total mystery. For the most part, it was because she wished to surprise Eomer, and that was enough reason for the moment.

She then began to daydream about seeing him. How romantic it would be to sneak into Meduseld and walk amongst him, without him having the slightest clue. Of course, she had no idea how she would accomplish sneaking into Meduseld, nor did she know how she would keep herself hidden from him and walk amongst him without him knowing, but it was nice to dream.

"Halt stranger!" Suddenly Lothiriel was pulled from her reverie at the sound of the voice. Erchirion signaled the horse to halt, as both he and his sister looked to where the voice had come from. A small, wooden tower stood before them. It seemed to be a watch tower, as a stout, fair haired man descended from the top of the rise, making his way to stand before them, pointing his spear. "What business have you in Edoras?" the man asked, his voice strong and bold.

"We come to see the King, we are friends I assure you. We have been stopped at many posts before this upon entering Rohan," Erchirion replied calmly, his tone lined with fatigue.

"As it should be. Friends of the King you say? Odd, I was not told of any visitors arriving today."

"Oh, we come without word, in complete apologies, of course. I meant for it to be a surprise," Lothiriel answered in a humbled manner.

"Well, let me send word to the Golden Hall then. I am not sure I trust..." the officer began, but Lothiriel interrupted him.

"No please, it will ruin the surprise. Can we not enter without the King knowing?"

"Like I was about to explain, I do not know whether to trust completely that you are friends of the King. You may have been able to slip past the other posts, but you will not pass this post so quickly."

"Look, I give you my word that we are friends," Erchirion began, but the snort of the man interrupted him.

"Your word? What have I to do with your word?" he mocked, Lothiriel and Erchirion both sighing in exhaustion and desperation.

"Please sir, let us through. We are very tired from our trip; we wish to revive ourselves in town. Please, take our weapons even if you like, for you will find that we bring few anyhow. We only wish to visit," Lothiriel pleaded. The officer raised his eyebrow in curiosity, running his hand through his long locks, deciding on what to do.

"All right I will humor you two, but give me some sort of proof that you are friends. Where are you from, in the least?"

Erchirion and Lothiriel looked to each other, shocked with one another having completely forgotten to even introduce where they were from. "We are of Dol Amroth. This is my sister Lothiriel and I am Erchirion, children of Imrahil..."

"The Prince!" the officer finished for him. "Well why did you not say something beforehand? Of course you may enter. I apologize for my scrutiny, but you travel with no party and no more than one horse, I did not suspect in the least..."

"It is no offense, really. It had slipped both our minds to say something," Erchirion told him. The man bowed his head and stepped to the side to let them enter. Erchirion and Lothiriel smiled in return, and moved forward but Lothiriel told her brother to stop.

"My Lord!" Lothiriel turned and called to the man, who had began to ascend the tower. He quickly turned and jogged to the front of their horse to address Lothiriel.

"My Lady?"

"If you would be so kind as to not let it slip that we are here, especially to the King, if later the idea of telling him enters your mind. Like I had said before, I wish it to be a surprise."

"Oh, well, of course my Lady, if that is what you wish. But even if I intended on informing the King I could not. He is not in Edoras at the moment."

Lothiriel felt her blood go cold, and she could have sworn her heart stopped at that moment. Her eyes widened, speech disabled.

"He what?" Erchirion asked for her, the shock in his tone a perfect reflection of Lothiriel's mental reaction.

"He is not in Edoras at the present moment, but we received word that he would be arriving later today. Everyone, we hear, is in a panic of course because of the feast this evening. They wish to have it ready before he arrives."

Lothiriel's eyebrows furrowed. "A feast? On what occasion, if I may inquire," she asked.

"Well, they will tell him on the occasion of his return to Edoras, but if I may be frank with you, Princess, it is in truth a ball rather than a feast."

"A ball?"

"Aye, and his closest advisors and marshals have arranged it to surprise him, announcing invitation that every eligible maiden is welcome to come. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my post. Good day to you," the officer addressed, bowing to the two then returning to his post.

Erchirion laughed as he motioned for the horse to return to its leisurely pace.

"It is not funny, Erchirion," Lothiriel protested. "What an awful thing for his men to do."

"Awful for whom Lothiriel? You or Eomer?"

"I do not see what difference it would make for either of us! What does he need to meet eligible woman of Rohan for?"

"It seems to me his friends are only looking out for him."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Well, you cannot doubt that your situation is rather strange. Are you two courting or not?"

"We are! There was only a bit of a mix up."

"He left, Lothiriel."

"He means to return, Erchirion. And what do you know of the matter, anyhow. Quicken the pace, we must prepare for this evening."

"Prepare for this evening? What do you have planned for this evening?"

"You heard the officer, there is a ball, and we are going to attend."

"WE? Did you not hear clearly? He said every eligible _maiden_, is invited. For one thing, I am no maiden. Secondly how will we attend without being recognized?"

"Do not worry, I will take care of everything. Now gallop, we have no time." Erchirion sighed. He did as he was told, too exhausted from traveling to argue.

TBC...

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sorry to leave you hanging. next up? the BALL. hehe, it'll be great, or so I hope I write it to come out great. anyways, hope you enjoyed this bit of filler. and keep up the reviews!! I love reading them. hehe =]


	26. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.

**AN**: thanks so much for the reviews, they're great. glad you enjoyed the last chapter. oh, and I agree that I did write that strange for the guard to doubt them being friends but quick to believe that they were Imrahil's kids. I guess I should not have written the guard to seem so doubtful. I mean for him to doubt them because they were alone and did not seem royal or anything. I probably should have written that better, my apologies. but I hope you enjoy this one!! =]

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Chapter 25: We Meet Again

Eomer sat silent atop his bed, eyeing the outfit a maid had chosen for him to wear for the evening. He could not believe that his men had planned out a feast for his return. In truth he was tired and weary from the journey, and was in no mood to entertain guests, but he knew he could not get out of the engagement now, especially since it was an hour or so away. Sighing heavily, he made his way to the washbowl, cleansed the dust from his face and neck, and began dressing for the occasion.

* * *

_**Some time later...**_

Upon entering the hall, Eomer could not help but be a bit confused. The layout was not one of a sit down feast, as lively music played and barrels of ale were brought in. On the contrary, there were few tables, positioned along the side of the hall, and many of the guests that filled the hall were mostly, to Eomer's surprised observation, women, save for a few Eored and soldiers. He felt all eyes fall on him as he entered, crowds parting to let him through, as the hall seemed packed with masses. Women whispered and smiled sweetly as he passed, Eomer only nodding slightly in acknowledgement, no doubt turning red with embarrassment. Finally he spotted the three who had informed him of this "feast", each noticing that Eomer had noticed them, and stiffening a bit as he made his way towards them.

"What is the meaning of this? 'Tis no feast it is one large mass," Eomer whispered to the three men, each holding a mug in their hand and looking to one another, not knowing what to say to the angered king.

"Surprise?" Erkenbrand said in a bit of a mock tone. Erkenbrand was Marshal of the West-Mark, who came to Edoras often and was a dear friend to Eomer, as was Elfhelm and Ceorl, who were the other two that stood before the King.

"What he means to say, Eomer, is that this gathering is for your own good. It would not hurt to keep your options open and help retain hope for the Rohirrim that their King would marry one day," Ceorl reasoned, Elfhelm nodding meekly in accord.

"I will marry one day, Ceorl, it is only a matter of time. I have already found the one I wish to be with, so you three have wasted everyone's time," Eomer retorted, conscious of the crowd, especially the women who seemed to be aware of his every move.

"With all do respect, Eomer, it has been almost three months now, and still no word has come from Dol Amroth."

"I know it, Elfhelm, you need not remind me."

"Well then, instead of waiting and sulking about, why not take advantage of the time? If this Princess is the one, then surely meeting other women and cordially speaking with them would not hurt a bit, would it?" Erkenbrand asked, clasping his King's shoulder.

"The man has a point, Eomer," Ceorl added.

"I do not doubt my heart, but amongst these women I would fear for it. I am not blind to what they seek," Eomer answered, looking around the room. The men were silent for a moment, noticing that the crowd was becoming restless for the King's attention.

"Just, try to enjoy yourself, you never know what could happen," Elfhelm said softly. Eomer only nodded in response, as he spotted a certain maiden he would not mind conversing with for the night, and made his way towards her.

* * *

**_ELSEWHERE..._**

Lothiriel, and Erchirion who followed closely behind her, entered the Golden Hall and were met with stares and raised eyebrows. The siblings were hidden under the hoods of their cloaks, the bottom halves of their faces covered with a cloth, light enough to breathe through yet kept their bottom half hidden. Erchirion looked about to the people's stares, but Lothiriel did not notice. Her attention was set fully on locating Eomer.

"Lothiriel this is ridiculous!" Erchirion announced, his voice strained in a whisper.

"Ridiculous, maybe. Effective? I think so. I swore to you one night, and we've much a time gap before this night is through, so humor me."

"Humor you? Oh, I think I have gone beyond humoring you. Dressing as a woman surpasses humoring! And though I have gone along with your wild plan, I doubt anyone else will believe me to be a..." but before Erchirion could finish, a young man approached the two. He looked a year or two older than Lothiriel, and if he was not a Rider of Rohan he was surely a soldier of some sort. The young man bowed politely to the two and smiled charmingly, his blue eyes piercing. Lothiriel thought he wished to ask her to dance, but to her surprise he turned his eyes to Erchirion, who stood behind Lothiriel.

"Excuse me, miss, may I have a dance?" he asked politely. Lothiriel nearly burst with laughter. Erchirion answered "NO" in a high-pitched tone, to attempt to resemble a woman's, taking his leave and pulling his sister to follow.

"Well, Erchirion, are you not flattered?" Lothiriel asked, laughing as she did so.

"This is humiliating," he retorted, crossing his arms. Lothiriel only continued to laugh, leaning against the chair next to her as she did so. Upon doing this however, she realized someone was seated in the chair, as she did not realize before, and in reaction backed away and apologized. The man turned to look at her, and she gasped as she realized just who he was...

* * *

Eomer approached the table where he found Beornwyn sitting quietly, watching the crowd.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing the to the seat across from her.

"Of course, my Lord," she replied happily, as Eomer took a seat.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"I am, though I cannot say the same for you. I saw the look on your face when you entered this hall, and the look on your face when you approached your men."

"Yes, well, I was quite taken by the surprise. I did not think they would do such a thing."

"Is it so terrible to be surrounded by eligible women, my Lord?"

"Well, no, it would not be, save for the fact that these women are looking to occupy more than the space in my heart."

"I should think that they would have trouble in attempting to occupy both."

Eomer chuckled lightly. "Yes, they would have quite a difficult time trying. My heart already belongs to someone, as it were. But I suppose the night will not go to complete waste. My men seem to be enjoying themselves." Beornwyn nodded, eyeing the crowd who danced merrily. She then turned to Eomer.

"My Lord, do you wish to dance?" she asked innocently. Eomer was taken aback by the request, but before he could answer, he felt someone bump into his back, which was followed by an apology. He turned to see two women stand behind him, one much taller than the other, both shrouded in their cloaks, and half their faces hidden under a cloth. Eomer stared at the women in puzzlement, the shorter one especially. Her eyes looked quite familiar.

"I am so sorry, my Lord," the shorter said humbly, bowing her head. Eomer rose from the chair and stood before her, her voice mysterious, and fake sounding. It seemed as if the women wished to hide the true tone.

"And where are you two from?" Eomer asked, looking to the woman who had bumped into him, then to the woman behind her, who was amazingly as tall as he. This was strange indeed, for Eomer considered himself to be quite a tall man, and here was a woman who was only a half an inch or so shorter.

Lothiriel felt her voice disappear, as she turned to her brother, whose eyes widened. Both did not know what to say, though they knew they needed to say something eventually, as Eomer stood before them waiting for a reply, suspicion clear across his face.

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hehe, hope you liked! thanks again for the reviews!!! they're great!! =]


	27. Chapter 26

**DISCLAIMER**: The names, places, things are Tolkien's. I think we can all figure out what is whose.

**AN**: thanks so much for all the great reviews guys! and sorry I left you all in suspense, hehe. hope you enjoy this chapter!! =]

* * *

Chapter 26: Mystery, Mystery and More Mystery

"We...well...Funny thing..." Lothiriel stumbled with her words. Her mind was racing, as Eomer's eyes seemed to be staring straight through her soul. '_Say something! Anything!_' she thought.

"Speak..." Eomer commanded, in more of a confused tone rather than a fierce one. He could not help but gaze at the woman's eyes. Lothiriel noticed this, of course, and tried desperately to dodge his stares. "Where are you from?" Eomer asked once again, his patience thinning with every second gone by.

"We are from..." Erchirion started, in his high-pitched tone, but his mind went blank. He could think of nowhere but Dol Amroth.

"HARAD!" Lothiriel finally answered, Eomer and Beornwyn, who stood next to him, both giving looks of confusion and shock.

"Harad?" Eomer repeated, raising an eyebrow at the two.

"Um, yes, Harad? We come in peace, my Lord," Erchirion explained, shocked as well at the answer his sister gave.

"I was not aware that women of Harad were social beings," Beornwyn said, looking to the two. Lothiriel stared back at the woman, wondering just who she was.

"I was not aware of Haradrim women at all..." Eomer mumbled, as Beornwyn continued.

"And your garbs are quite, interesting. Is it a custom to cover yourselves so?"

"Um, yes, quite the custom really," Lothiriel responded.

"Tell me, what are two women of Harad doing in Rohan? More importantly, how were you let into the Mark?" Eomer asked, watching as the two mysterious women looked to each other. He could tell they grew more nervous by the minute.

"Uh, we were allowed in for the ball, of course. Word spreads quickly, my Lord, and far. My sister and I are looking for a better life, in a better land," Lothiriel lied. She was not sure whether or not Eomer would believe her story, especially since it was clearly ridiculous. '_Why could I not of said Gondor? Or Tolfalas? Or any place but Harad! What am I thinking?_'

"Well, I hope you find Rohan to be welcoming. If you will excuse me," Beornwyn declared, politely taking her leave of the party and making her way through the crowd. Eomer was not given a chance to say something to her before she left, as he watched her walk away. Lothiriel noticed this, as Erchirion pulled at her arm, taking Eomer's distraction to be a perfect time to sneak away. His sister, however, let curiosity, and maybe a bit of jealousy, get the best of her, and pushed away his hand.

"Are you fond of her, my Lord?" Lothiriel asked Eomer, as Eomer turned to face her. His eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"In a way. I commiserate with what she is going through, and so my heart goes out to her and in that sense I am fond of her. Why do you ask?"

"I am only curious. She is rather beautiful, and you seem to enjoy her company. I thought that perhaps the King of Rohan had found himself a bride."

Eomer chuckled lightly. "Well, perhaps what you thought was right. But I did not find myself a bride in Beornwyn."

Lothiriel felt her heart skip a beat. "And if I may, who then is the woman you've found your bride in?"

"A Princess, of Dol Amroth."

Lothiriel smiled widely, though Eomer could not see it. "She sounds wonderful," Lothiriel responded, causing Eomer to laugh.

"I've yet to tell you anything about her, save for the fact that she is a Princess of Dol Amroth. And to you she is wonderful?"

"Yes. I can tell much from little things. She sounds intelligent, and kind, and awfully beautiful..." Lothiriel continued, causing her "sister" to scoff.

"She also sounds imaginative and awfully conceited to me," Erchirion finished, as Lothiriel glared at him.

Eomer only chuckled lightly at the display, unable to shake the feeling that he had met this woman before. "Miss, I must tell you that I feel as if I know you from somewhere, which sounds outrageous in my mind, but in my heart I do not doubt it. It is your eyes; I swear I have seen them before. Tell me, what is your name?"

'_MY NAME??! Sweet Eru, what am I to say???_' Lothiriel thought frantically, but to her fortune she did not need to answer. At that moment Elfhelm approached Eomer, and called to him. Eomer looked away, and when he did so, Lothiriel was obedient to follow her brother's lead and escape Eomer's presence.

"Hold a moment, Elfhelm," Eomer told him, and turned to address the two "Haradrim" but they were gone; lost in the crowd.

"Is something the matter?" Elfhelm asked, noticing Eomer's confused look, as he seemed to be searching for someone amidst the crowd.

"Tell me, Elfhelm, what do you know of these two women from Harad?" Eomer asked, still hoping to catch a glimpse of where they may be.

"Harad??? Haradrim here, my Lord???"

"Relax, they come in peace. You did not send invitation, then, to women in Harad?"

"Well, the invitation was open to all, but mostly to Rohirrim women. It may be possible word spread that far, but I doubt it. It is only you, after all," Elfhelm replied, the latter in jest. Eomer only chuckled. "What of these two women, Eomer? Do not tell me you wish to fill the Queen of Rohan's seat with a Haradrim?"

"If that be the case, then it would be my choice. But it is not the case; I have told you who that seat is reserved for. But I cannot help but feel intrigued with that Haradrim woman. Her eyes, Elfhelm; I have seen them before, I know it."

* * *

_**ELSEWHERE...**_

Erchirion leaned against a wall, taking a breath after having escaped Eomer's sight so quickly. His sister leaned next to him, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"Did you hear him, Erchirion? You are my witness, he wants to marry me," she said, her brother hearing her smile as she did.

"Yes, I heard. Harad, Lothiriel? This has gone far enough, the night is nearly through, come, let us go back to the inn..."

"No, I must see who he dances last with, or retires with for the night," Lothiriel said firmly. Erchirion's eyes widened at her.

"Are you mad? Do you not think Eomer is suspicious of us already? We have caused enough trouble."

"I must see, Erchirion. If you wish to go, fine, but I am staying."

"You are impossible. Do you think that he will choose you, Lothiriel? He does not even know it is you!"

"He feels it, I know he does. It is no matter who or what he sees me as. He can feel me here."

Erchirion only rolled his eyes at his romanticized sister. "This is insane."

* * *

_**Later... **_

Ceorl and Erkenbrand approached Eomer, as Elfhelm was already conversing with him. For a moment both were silent, Eomer watching their awkwardness in amusement.

"Well?" Eomer asked, knowing one of them wished to say something.

Ceorl cleared his throat. "Well, my Lord. The evening is coming to a close, and you refuse to dance one last time. So that only leaves..."

All three men fidgeted, trying to decide what to say. Eomer laughed, knowing exactly what they wished for him to do. He stayed silent for some moments, pretending to be deep in thought. Finally, after what seemed like forever to the three men, he spoke.

"I will retire then for the night, and go to my chambers. I would like that you send the Haradrim woman in, an hour or so after I have departed," Eomer told them. The men stood in shock.

"The Haradrim woman, Eomer?" Elfhelm repeated, unbelieving to what he was hearing. Ceorl and Erkenbrand still said nothing.

"Yes, that is right. Tell her I wish to see her," Eomer commanded. Elfhelm only nodded silently, and took his leave to find the woman. Eomer, however, called to him before he was out of earshot, laughing a bit as he did so. "Oh, Elfhelm, I nearly forgot. There are two Haradrim women here this evening, both dressed similarly. I wish for you to call to my room, the taller of the two."

TBC...

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wow, I'm really getting used to this suspense thing. I couldn't help myself though! It was a perfect place to end it. hehe, hope you enjoyed!! =]


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